Water Distribution System

Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar

Lecturer ,
Institute of Environmental Engineering & Research(IEER)
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

[email protected]
Water Distribution System
Distribution System is based on
• Pipes

• Fire Hydrants

• Valves

• Service Reservoirs (OHR)

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Method of Supplying Water
• Depending on the topography relationship
between the source of supply and the consumer,
water can be transported by:
• Canals.
• Tunnels.
• Pipelines.
• The most common methods are:
• Gravity supply
• Pumped supply
• Combined supply

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Gravity Supply

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Advantages of Gravity Supply
• No energy costs.
• Simple operation (fewer mechanical parts,
independence of power supply, ….)
• Low maintenance costs.
• No sudden pressure changes

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Pumped Supply
Used whenever:
• The source of water is lower than the area to which
we need to distribute water to (consumers).
• The source cannot maintain minimum pressure
required.
• Pumps are used to develop the necessary head
(pressure) to distribute water to the consumer and
storage reservoirs.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Disadvantages of Pumped System
• Complicated operation and maintenance.
• Dependent on reliable power supply.
• Precautions have to be taken in order to enable
permanent supply:
• Stock with spare parts
• Alternative source of power supply ….

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Combined Supply (Pumped-Storage Supply)
1. When two sources of water are used to supply
water:
• Both pumps and storage reservoirs are used.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Combined System (Contd….)
2. In the pumped system sometimes a storage
(elevated) tank is connected to the system.
• When the water consumption is low, the residual
water is pumped to the tank.
• When the consumption is high the water flows back
to the consumer area by gravity.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Combined System (Contd….)
3. When the source is lower than the consumer
area
• A tank is constructed above the highest point in the
area,
• Then the water is pumped from the source to the
storage tank (reservoir).
• And the hence the water is distributed from the
reservoir by gravity.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
• Types of Layout
Dead End or Tree System
• Irregularly developed cities
• (No proper planning)
Advantages
1. Easy to design
2. Less valve to cut off supplies
Disadvantages
1. Stagnation of water at dead ends
2. Large portions of cities for repairs to
be cut off

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
Grid –Iron System
• No stagnation
• More valves (costly)
• Difficult to design
• Expensive option but more
reliable
• More common in developed
countries

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
• Types of water supply
Continuous
(1) Water is available for firefighting at all the times.
(2) No infiltration of undesirable water would occur in water distribution
system as WDS pipes are always pressurized.
(3) This system has more operational cost.
Intermittent
(1) In intermittent system, water is supplied twice or thrice a day
during period of high water consumption.
(2) Economical in comparison with continuous supply.
(3) More water is needed for such systems due to high wastage.
(4) Firefighting may be an issue during period of no supply.
Infiltration of dirty water may take place during no supply period
when pipes may not be in pressurized condition.
(5) Pipe maintenance costs (in case of galvanized iron pipes) are
higher in intermittent supply.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
Pipe Distribution System

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
Primary Feeders
• Main skeleton
• Water pumping to OHR and various parts of city
• In cities form loops, about 1 km apart.
• Looping allows continuous flow and adequate fire flows.
• Provided with air relief valve & blow off valve
• Size >300mm ϕ

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Distribution System
Secondary feeder
• Carry water from Primary feeder to cater for normal
supplies +firefighting(12”- Lahore)
• Smaller loops within loops of primary feeder
• In cities these are few blocks apart
• Sizes are 200mm, 250, 300mm ϕ
Small distribution mains/Tertiary Feeder
• Form grid over areas and supply water to fire hydrant
and domestic supply lines (150 mm ϕ)
Domestic supply lines
• Generally the sizes are <100-150 mm ϕ normal size is
75mm
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Leakages and Losses in Water Distribution Systems

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Over head Reservoirs
(OHR)
Terminologies
Yield
The portion of precipitation on the watershed that can
be collected for use.

Safe Yield
It is the minimum yield recorded for given past period.

Draft
It is the intended or actually quantity of water drawn
for use.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Capacity of Overhead Reservoir
Objective of Storage
1. Uniform or desired pumping rate of water over a given
time

2. Equalize demand over a period of high use or when

pumping discontinued

3. Emergency Services
• Fire Demand
• Tube well changes
• Electrical breakdown

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

 • Overhead storage reservoirs should be essentially
provided in all urban and rural water supply
schemes except in cases of such hilly / semi hilly
areas where appropriately located ground storage
reservoirs can provide and maintain the requisite
minimum terminal pressure in the system.
• Capacity of overhead reservoirs in case of
communities having population more than 10,000
persons should be based on 1/10th of average day
demand. Minimum capacity of overhead reservoir
should not be less than 10,000 gallons.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Capacity of Overhead Reservoir
• Storage capacity= Equalizing storage (15-30%
Max daily demand) + Fire Fighting (2-10hrs) +
Emergency (Variable)

• Public Health engineering Department (PHED)

recommended storage capacities for
1. Electric pumps – 1/6 th of avg. daily consumption
2. Diesel Pumps – ¼ th of avg. daily consumption

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of OHR
• Overhead reservoirs (OHRs) in distribution system
are provided to equalize pumping rates over the
desired pumping period.
• OHR also equalize supply and demand.
• They are useful at the time of emergencies i.e. fires,
accidental break downs (especially of electricity).
Two types of OHR:
1. Pour and Draw
2. Balancing OHR

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Pour and Draw OHR
• OHRs may be of two types. One is pour and draw
OHRs; these are normally used for small
communities (villages).

• Water is first poured into OHR and later drawn for

gravity supply to the consumers.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Balancing OHR
• When the supply from the source is continuous for
all the 24 hours, the water transmission line/rising
main is connected directly to the distribution system
as well as to OHR.
• During the low demand period, the excess water
pumped goes to OHR.
• During peak demand in the distribution system,
water from the source as well as from the OHR will
be supplied. The OHR under this condition is called
Balancing OHR.
• Only one pipe is connected to the reservoir, which
will act as inlet as well as outlet.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Costing of OHR tank
• If the cost of construction of overhead tank is 220
Rs. Per gallons (PHED rates). Then the cost of
construction of whole overhead reservoir would be
Total Cost = Rs. 220 / gallon x Capacity of OHR
Total Cost = Rs. 220/gallon x 10,000 gallon
Total Cost = Rs 2,200,000/- or 2.2 million Rupees

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12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Types of Water Supply Pipes
Pipe Sizes
• Lines which provide only domestic flow may be as
small as 100 mm (4 in) but should not exceed 400
m in length (if dead-ended grid system) or 600 m if
connected to the system at both ends.

• Lines as small as 50-75 mm (2-3 in) are sometimes

used in small communities with length not to exceed
100 m (if dead-ended) or 200 m if connected at both
ends.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Pipe Sizes (contd..)
• The size of the small distribution mains is seldom
less than 150 mm (6 in) with cross mains located at
intervals not more than 180 m.

• In high-value districts the minimum size is 200 mm

(8 in) with cross mains at the same maximum
spacing. Major streets are provided with lines not
less than 305 mm (12 in) in diameter.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
• Various types of pipes are available for the construction of
water supply network.
• The following points should be considered for selection;

➢ Carrying capacity
➢ Durability
➢ First cost
➢ Maintenance cost
➢ Type of water to be conveyed

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
1. Cast Iron Pipes:
• Most widely used for city water supply
• Average life of pipes 100 years
• Corrosion (tuberculation)may reduce its capacity by
70%,must be lined with cement or bitumen
• Roughness coefficient (C)for new pipe is 130
• Roughness coefficient (C) for old pipe is 100

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
2. Steel Pipes:
• Contains less carbon than cast iron pipe
• Average life is 25-50 years
• Frequently used for trunk mains
• Difficult to make connections, hence seldom used for water
distribution
• Much stronger and lighter than cast iron pipes
• Cheaper than cast iron pipes
• Cannot withstand vacuum, hence collapse
• Highly susceptible to corrosion, hence high maintenance charges
required.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
3. Ductile Pipes:
• Similar to C.I pipes except their increased ductility(it is
the property of a metal of being capable to be drawn out
into wire)
• Ductile iron is produced by adding a controlled amount of
Mg into molten iron of low sulphur and phosphorus
content
• Stronger, tougher and more elastic than C.I
• More expensive than C.I

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
4. Galvanized Iron Pipes:
• Produced by dipping C.I pipes in molten zinc
• Resistant to corrosion
• Mainly used for plumbing
• Maximum diameter 6 inches
5. Concrete Pipes:
• Usual size of RCC pipes 400 mm and above
• Not subjected to corrosion
• Manufactured at or near site
• Average life of pipe is 75 years
• Roughness coefficient is between 138 to 150

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Supply Pipes
6. Asbestos Cement Pipes:
• Sizes available between 100mm-600 mm
• Average life – 30 years
• Immune to actions of acids, salts, soil, corrosion
• Less pumping cost due to less friction
• Roughness coefficient is equal to 140
7. Poly vinyl chloride Pipes:
• Mainly used for domestic plumbing
• Easy to install , easy to handle
• Cheaper in material cost
• Weak to sustain load
• Only available up to 350 mm diameter size
• Expected life – 25 years
• PVC becomes brittle when placed in sunlight
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Water Supply Pipes
8. POLYPROPYLENE RANDOM COPOLYMER
(PPRC)
• Exceptional corrosion & erosion resistance
• Anti-Fungal & Non-toxic
• Inherited characteristic of high impact strength
• Wide Temperature range: -40C to +950C (suitable for both hot & cold applications)
• Long Service life, above 50 years over a wide temperature range.
• Highly economical as compared to G. I , C. I, M.S, PVC
• Superior Impact, Fracture Resistance & Minimum Crack Transmission due to Co-polymer
with random assortment.
• PPR-C being an Eco-Friendly product does not catches fire straightforwardly,
indeed in case of fire it

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

FAQ on how to avoid water freezing in pipes during winters?
• Pipes in attics and crawl spaces should be protected
with insulation or heat.
• Pipe insulation is available in fiberglass or foam
sleeves. Home centers and hardware stores have sleeves
providing 1/8 to 5/8 inches of insulation; specialty
dealers have products that provide up to 2 inches of
insulation.
• (Check the Yellow Pages under “Insulation” or
“Plumbing Supplies” for sources.)
• Heating cables and tapes are effective in freeze
protection. Select a heating cable with the UL label and
a built-in thermostat that turns the heat on when needed
(without a thermostat, the cable has to be plugged in
each time and might be forgotten).

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

FAQ on how to avoid water freezing in pipes during winters?
• Doors on cabinets under kitchen and bathroom sinks
should be left open during cold spells to allow the
warmer air of the room to circulate around the pipes.
• Exterior pipes should be drained or enclosed in 2-
inch fiberglass insulation sleeves.
• Pipes leading to the exterior should be shut off and
drained at the start of the winter.
• If these exterior faucets do not have a shut-off valve
inside the house, have one installed by a plumber.
• Hoses should be removed and stored inside during
the winter.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
FAQ on how to avoid water freezing in pipes during winters?
• Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing
through pipes that are vulnerable to freezing.
• Ice might still form in the pipes, but an open faucet
allows water to escape before the pressure builds to
where a pipe can burst.
• If the dripping stops, it may mean that ice is
blocking the pipe; keep the faucet open, since the
pipe still needs pressure relief.

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12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Types of Valves
 Types of Valves

1. Gate Valve/sluice valve

• Used to shut off water
supply mains for repair
• Generally placed at street
corners where lines intersect.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of Valves
3.Check Valve
• Uni-directional flow
• Discharge side of pump to reduce water hammer
effect (pumping stations)

4.Butterfly Valve
• Used in filter plants and high pressure distribution systems.
• Shut off very slowly to avoid water hammer.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of Valves
5.Pressure Regulating Valve
• Reduce pressure downstream side to any desired magnitude(60 PSI)
• Spring and adjustable diaphragm in order to increase or decrease the
water pressure within the water supply service

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of Valves
6. Air Relief Valve
• It allows the accumulated air in the pipe to escape
• It also allows the external air to enter the pipe to break the vacuum.
• Placed at high points of the line

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of Valves
7. Blow off Valve
• Used to drain a line, or to remove accumulated sediments
• Located at low points.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Types of Valves
8. Altitude Valve
• Close automatically a supply line to an elevated tank when full
• Differential in forces between a spring load and the water level in the
reservoir.
• When the force of the spring is overcome by the force of the reservoir
head, the pilot closes the main valve
• Desired high water level set by adjusting the spring force

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Fire hydrants

• At least 2 hose outlets and larger pumper outlet

• Located at street intersection 1-2 m from the edge of
road

1m3/min

0.5 m

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Hammer
Introduction
• In transmission lines/rising mains of longer lengths
and bigger diameter, water hammer becomes quite
critical and must be examined and evaluated during
design of rising mains. This process is generally
referred to as surge analysis.

• If ignored, it results in severe operational problems

and malfunctioning of the transmission /rising
mains.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

 • Water hammer is referred as ‘the pulsation of
pressure above and below operating pressure’. The
possible reasons may be:

1. Quick opening/closing of the valve.

2. Sudden starting/stopping of the pump.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Hammer Calculations
• The choice of pipe materials for rising main is
dictated by the pressure. The pipe should be safe
against both, the working pressure and when water
hammer acts.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Water Hammer Calculations (Contd…)

𝟏𝟐
𝒂= (𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑝𝑠 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚)
𝑾 𝟏 𝒅
+
𝒈 𝒌 𝑬𝒆

• a = pressure wave velocity

• Water hammer pressure = av/g (ft)

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Measures to control water hammer
• There exist several techniques to control water
hammer in rising mains, which include the
provision:
1. Check valves
2. Surge control valves
3. Surge tanks
4. Stronger pipe material that can bear the water
hammer.
Note: The selection of a specific remedial measure
depends on factors such as:
(1)Capital cost
(2)Terrain of the area.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Construction of Water Distribution
System
Laying of Distribution System
1. Excavation
• Min depth : 1 m to protect the pipe against traffic load
• Trench width: Sufficient width be provided for proper
laying & jointing of pipes.
• Excavation is necessary at the bells. Bell holes are required
in the trench at each joint so that the pipe is supported by
full length of its barrel and not on the bells. Pipe may be
damaged if the above instruction is not followed
Pipe Trench width
2” 1.5’
3” 2’
4” 2’
6” 2’

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

 2. Laying and Jointing:
This includes removal of pipes from vehicle,
conveying it to the site of work, storage in a yard or at
street and placing it in a trench and making a proper
joint.
3. Provision of Thrust Block:
Plain cement concrete (PCC) blocks at all tees, bends
and dead ends are provided to nullify water thrust.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Frequently asked questions on Thrust Block!!
Are thrust blocks required with HDPE pipelines?
No. HDPE pipe and fittings joined by heat fusion are
self-restrained in all applications, and therefore do not
require thrust blocks, provided the entire system is
fused. Thrust blocks may be required in cases where
special gasketed mechanical fittings are used. This
may be necessary to prevent separation of the
gasketed joint just as it is required for gasketed PVC
and ductile iron pipe in pressure applications. Detailed
discussion of this topic can be found in Chapter 9 of
PPI’s Handbook of Polyethylene Pipe, 2nd ed.
Publications available from the pipe manufacturer may
also cover this subject.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
 4. Backfilling:
After the laying and jointing of the pipe is over, the
trench is backfilled. Backfill material should be free
from large stones. First 1 ft of trench should be
manually backfilled and slowly tamped (force down
by repeated blows). It is done to avoid any damage to
pipe, and afterwards, any mechanical mean i.e. tractor,
compactors etc. may be used for the rest of filling.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Testing before Commissioning
Disinfection
1. Storage on the street
2. Mud at the bottom of the trench
3. Wastewater which may run into the trench.
Steps for disinfection are:
4. Flush the lines with water at a velocity of at least 2.5
ft/sec (0.76 m/sec).
5. After flushing, pipe is filled with water having free
residual chlorine with a concentration of at least 1.0
mg/L. After 24 hours, water sample is drawn and it
must contain 0.5 mg/L of chlorine. After chlorine test,
bacteriological analysis of water is also conducted.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Disinfection
6. If any coliform bacteria are found, then fill the pipe
with water containing 50 mg/L available chlorine.
After 24 hour holding period, chlorine
concentration should not reduce below 25 mg/L.
7. Flush the pipes with water.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Hydraulic Testing
• It is a very important test and must be carried out
before backfilling of trenches. Allowable leakage
depends upon:
(1) pipe diameter and
(2) test pressure.
AWWA specifications say that actual leakage should
not exceed as indicated by the following formula.

√𝑷
𝑳 = 𝑺𝑫
𝟏𝟒𝟖, 𝟎𝟎𝟎

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

 L = allowable leakage, gallon/hr
S = Length of pipe in feet
D = nominal dia of pipe, inches
P = average test pressure, psi

• Average test pressure is usually 1.5 times the working

pressure of pipe. For example, for a PVC B class pipe,
which has a working pressure of 200 ft, the test pressure
will be 300 ft.

• Testing is usually carried out upon lengths of pipe not

exceeding 1000 ft (300m).

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12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Procedure of Hydraulic testing
1. The pipe is filled with water. Sluice valve is kept open
during filling so that air is released while the pipe is
being filled.
2. After all the air is released the water will start coming
out of the sluice valve. The valve is then closed.
3. Use the hand pump to push water into pipe. Read the
pressure from the gauge. Keep pumping. The needle
on pressure gauge will start moving.
4. Continue pumping till the required test pressure is
reached on the gauge.
5. Leakage is defined as the volume of water that is
pumped into the newly laid pipeline to maintain
pressure within ± 5 psi of the test pressure after it is
filled and purged of air, for a duration of 2 hours.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

 6. The water gauge installed will indicate the amount
of water leaked.
7. If the pipeline, under test, contains sections of
various diameters, the allowable leakage will be the
sum of the computed leakage for each size.
8. In case there are weak joints or leaking joints, the
pressure will suddenly drop and pipe could be
examined for the point of leakage. Necessary repair
is made and the above procedure is repeated.
9. If the leakage lies within the allowable range, the
pipes are then backfilled.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Solved Example
• Determine allowable leakage in gallons/hr in B class
PVC pipe having 6-inches diameter and 1000 ft
long. Test pressure is 300 ft (9.3 bar; 135 psi).

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

Leakage detection in distribution network
• Different methods may be employed for leakage
detection in WDS. These are:
1. Presence of green grasses over water pipe, during a
drought on the ground. It shows presence of
moisture due to pipe leakage.
2. Insert a steel rod in ground and check its tip
whether it is wet or dry.
3. A serious leak may be guessed by a sudden drop in
pressure on a pressure gauge.
4. Use of aqua phone.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

House Connection
• A proper house connection from a distribution main
is very important. However, it is mostly neglected
and becomes a cause of leakage and pressure
problems in WDS.
• House connection is given with the help of a cast
iron clamp fixed on the distribution line.
• The clamp has a hole on which a ½ inch socket is
welded. A rubber ring is placed between the water
supply pipe and cast iron clamp, where socket is
welded.
• It makes the connection leak proof.
12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
House Connection
• A hole 3/8 inch diameter is drilled in distribution
pipe to get service connection.
• A ferule is fixed on the socket. A ½ inches service
line is connected to ferrule. This service line
supplies water to the house.

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1

12-March-2016 Lecture # 10 Engr. Abdul Mannan Zafar, IEER, UET Lahore 1
Thank You!
Q&A