A water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components, including:
The product, delivered to the point of consumption is fresh water or drinking water. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not
Contents |
Virtually all large systems must treat the water; a fact that is tightly regulated by global, state and federal agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use Water purification usually occurs close to the final delivery points to reduce pumping costs and the chances of the water becoming contaminated after treatment.
Traditional surface water treatment plants generally consists of three steps: clarification, filtration and disinfection. Clarification refers to the separation of particles (dirt, organic matter, etc. ) from the water stream. Chemical addition (i. e. alum, ferric chloride) destabilizes the particle charges and prepares them for clarification either by settling or floating out of the water stream. Sand, anthracite or activated carbon filters refine the water stream, removing smaller particulate matter. While other methods of disinfection exist, the preferred method is via chlorine addition. Chlorine effectively kills bacteria and most viruses and maintains a residual to protect the water supply through the supply network.
Once treated, chlorine is added to the water and it is distributed by the local supply network. Today, water supply systems are typically constructed of plastic, ferrous, or concrete circular pipe. However, other "pipe" shapes and material may be used, such as square or rectangular concrete boxes, arched brick pipe, or wood. Concrete is a construction material composed of Cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as Fly ash and Slag A brick is a block of Ceramic material used in Masonry construction laid using mortar. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Near the end point, the network of pipes through which the water is delivered is often referred to as the water mains.
Shallow dams and reservoirs are susceptible to outbreaks of toxic algae, especially if the water is warmed by a hot sun. Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms The bacteria grow from stormwater runoff carrying fertilizer into the river where it acts a nutrient for the algae. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Such outbreaks render the water unfit for human consumption.
The energy that the system needs to deliver the water is called pressure. Pressure (symbol 'p' is the force per unit Area applied to an object in a direction perpendicular to the surface That energy is transferred to the water, therefore becoming water pressure, in a number of ways: by a pump, by gravity feed from a water source (such as a reservoir or a water tower) at a higher elevation, or, in smaller systems, by compressed air. Pressure (symbol 'p' is the force per unit Area applied to an object in a direction perpendicular to the surface For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. A water tower, watershed, or elevated water tower is a large elevated water storage container
These systems are usually owned and maintained by local governments, such as cities, or other public entities, but are occasionally operated by a commercial enterprise (see water privatization). (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and Sanitation, although more rarely it refers to privatization Water supply networks are part of the master planning of communities, counties, and municipalities. Their planning and design requires the expertise of city planners and civil engineers, who must consider many factors, such as location, current demand, future growth, leakage, pressure, pipe size, pressure loss, fire fighting flows, etc. An urban planner is a professional who works in the field of Urban planning for the purpose of maximizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built Construction occurs using the expertise of builders, called contractors, with expertise in building hydraulic facilities. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure
The advent of these systems, along with comparable sewage systems, was one of the great engineering advances that made urbanization possible. A fire hydrant (also known colloquially as a fire plug in the United States or as a johnny pump in New York City, because the firemen of the Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing Improvement in the quality of the water has been one of the great advances in public health. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations
As water passes through the distribution system, the water quality can degrade by chemical reactions and biological processes. Corrosion of metal pipe materials in the distribution system can cause the release of metals into the water with undesirable aesthetic and health effects. Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to Chemical reactions with its surroundings Release of iron from unlined iron pipes can result in customer reports of "red water" at the tap . Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Release of copper from copper pipes can result in customer reports of "blue water" and/or a metallic taste. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Tap water ( running water) is part of indoor Plumbing, which became available in the late 19th century and common in the mid-20th century Release of lead can occur from the solder used to join copper pipe together or from brass fixtures. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly A solder is a fusible metal Alloy with a melting point or melting range of 90 to 450 ° C (200 to 840 ° F) used in a process called Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties Copper and lead levels at the consumer's tap are regulated to protect consumer health.
Utilities will often adjust the chemistry of the water before distribution to minimize its corrosiveness. The simplest adjustment involves control of pH and alkalinity to produce a water that tends to passivate corrosion by depositing a layer of calcium carbonate. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Alkalinity or AT is a measure of the ability of a solution to neutralize acids to the Equivalence point of carbonate or bicarbonate Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Corrosion inhibitors are often added to reduce release of metals into the water. A corrosion inhibitor is a chemical compound that when added to a fluid or gas decreases the corrosion rate of a Metal or an Alloy. Common corrosion inhibitors added to the water are phosphates and silicates. A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. For the Artificial intelligence Androids of the 1990s Science fiction series Space Above and Beyond, see Silicate (AI
Maintenance of a biologically safe drinking water is another goal in water distribution. Typically, a chlorine based disinfectant, such as sodium hypochlorite or monochloramine is added to the water as it leaves the treatment plant. Disinfectants are Antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy Microorganisms, the process of which is known as disinfection. Sodium hypochlorite is a Chemical compound with the formula NaClO Chloramine (monochloramine is a Chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl Booster stations can be placed within the distribution system to ensure that all areas of the distribution system have adequate sustained levels of disinfection. Disinfectants are Antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy Microorganisms, the process of which is known as disinfection.
Like electric power lines, roads, and microwave radio networks, water systems may have a loop or branch network topology, or a combination of both. In Graph theory, a loop (also called a self-loop) is an edge that connects a vertex to itself In Mathematics and Computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs: mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects The piping networks are circular or rectangular. If any one section of water distribution main fails or needs repair, that section can be isolated without disrupting all users on the network.
Most systems are divided into zones. Factors determining the extent or size of a zone can include hydraulics, telemetry systems, history, and population density. Sometimes systems are designed for a specific area then are modified to accommodate development. Terrain affects hydraulics and some forms of telemetry. While each zone may operate as a stand-alone system, there is usually some arrangement to interconnect zones in order to manage equipment failures or system failures.
Water supply networks usually represent the majority of assets of a water utility. Systematic documentation of maintenance works using a Computerized Maintenance Management System is a key to a successful operation of a water utility. Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS is also known as Enterprise Asset Management.