CHAPTER 5: INTAKES

PREPARED BY
ER. GARIMA GAULI
 Definition
An intake is a device or structure placed in a water source to
permit the withdrawal of water from source, and discharge it
into an intake conduit through which it flows to the treatment
plant; or discharge it into an intake well from where it is pumped
to the treatment plant.
• Intake consists of :
a) Intake conduit with a screen at its inlet end and a valve to
control flow of water
b) A structure permitting the withdrawal of water from the
source and housing and supporting the intake conduit, valve
operating devices, pumps, etc.
• Structure made of stone masonry, brick masonry, RCC or
concrete blocks
• Should be designed for all forces likely to come upon it
(pressure due to water, wave action, wind, floating debris, etc.)
 Site selection of an intake

• As far as possible, the site should be near the treatment

plant so that the cost of conveying water to the city is less.
• The intake must be located in the pure water zone of the
source to draw best quality water from the source, thereby
reducing load on the treatment plant.
• The intake must never be located at the downstream or
in the vicinity of the point of disposal of wastewater.
• The site should be such as to permit greater withdrawal of
water, if required at a future date.
• The intake must be located at a place from where it can draw
water even during the driest period of the year.
 Site selection of an intake
• The intake site should remain easily accessible during
floods and should not get flooded. Moreover, the flood water
should not be concentrated in the vicinity of the intake.
• It should not be located in navigation channels, because
water of such channels is generally polluted.
• In case of meandering river, the intake should not be located on
the curves. If intake is to be located on the curve, it should be
located on the concave bank (outer bank) and not on the
convex bank (inner bank).
Classification of Intakes
 Classification of Intakes
a. According to position of intake
✓ Submerged Intake
✓ Exposed Intake
a. According to presence of water in the tower
✓ Wet Intake
✓ Dry Intake
a. According to the type of source
✓ River Intake
✓ Canal Intake
✓ Reservoir Intake
✓ Lake Intake
 According to position of Intakes

a. Submerged Intake
• The submerged Intake structures are those which are
constructed entirely under water.
• They are less expensive to construct but are difficult to
maintain.
• Such intakes are commonly used to obtain water from lakes
 According to position of Intakes

b. Exposed Intake
• The Exposed intakes is in the form of well or tower
constructed near the bank of river or in some cases even away
from the bank of river.
• They are more common due to ease in operation and
maintenance
 According to presence of water in the tower
a. Wet intake
• The wet intake is that type of intake tower in which the water level
is practically the same as the level of source of supply
• It is sometimes known as JACK Well and it is most commonly used.
• It consist of a concrete circular shell filled with water up to the
reservoir level.
• Openings are made in to the outer concrete shell as well as, in to the
inside shaft.
• Gates are usually placed on the shaft, so as to control the flow of
water in to the shaft and the withdrawal conduit.
• The water coming out of the withdrawal pipe may be taken to pump
house for lift (if treatment plant is at high elevation) or may be
directly taken to treatment plant (at lower elevation).
 According to presence of water in the
tower
a. Wet intake
 According to presence of water in the
tower
b. Dry intake
• The water is directly drawn in to the withdrawal conduit
through the gated entry ports.
• It has no water inside the tower if its gates are closed.
• When the entry ports are closed, a dry intake tower will be
subjected to additional buoyant forces.
• Hence it must be of heavier construction than wet intake
tower.
• They are useful since water can be withdrawn from any
selected level of the reservoir by opening the port at that level.
 According to presence of water in the
tower
b. Dry intake
Classification of Intake on the basis of
source of water :
1. River intake
2. Reservoir intake
3. Spring intake
4. Lake intake
1. River intake
• An intake tower constructed at the bank or inside of the river
to withdraw water is called river intake.
• These intakes consist of circular or rectangular, masonry or
RCC intake tower from where water can be withdrawn even in
the dry period.
• Several inlets called penstocks for drawing water are provided
at the different levels to permit the withdrawal of water when
the water level drops.
• All inlet ends are provided with a screen (to prevent the entry
of floating matters) with valves to control the flow of water
operation from the control room.
• The penstock discharges the water into the intake tower (intake
well) from where it is pumped or flow under gravity.
 1. River intake
• When river bed is unstable or soft, the foundation is kept
slightly away from the river bed. Intake is kept submerged under
lowest water level. Weir or channels are constructed to get
water in all conditions.
2. Reservoir intake
• Reservoir intakes which is mostly
used to draw the water from
earthen dam reservoir.
• It essentially consists of an intake
tower constructed on the slope of
the dam at such place from where
intake can draw sufficient quantity
of water even in the driest period.
• Intake pipes are fixed at different
levels, so as to draw water near the
surface in all variations of water
level.
• These all inlet pipes are connected
to one vertical pipe inside the
intake well.
2. Reservoir intake
• The type of intake to be provided
depends on the type of dam
constructed to create the reservoir.
• Commonly used dams are gravity
dams and earthen dams.
2. Reservoir intake
• In case of reservoir created by use of gravity dams, water is
withdrawn from the reservoir through outlets or sluiceways which
are constructed as an integral part of dam.
• The outlets are located at different levels to enable the withdrawl
of water even when the level of water in the reservoir drops.
• To control the flow of water through the outlets, gates and valves
are used which are housed in the body of dam itself.
• At the entrance to the outlet a structure called trash rack is
provided to prevent the entry of floating debris into the outlet.
2. Reservoir intake (Gravity type dam)
2. Reservoir intake (Earthen dam)
• Intake consists of a masonry or RCC intake tower (or intake
well) placed near upstream toe of dam.
• Intake tower is connected to the top of the dam by a foot
bridge.
• The water from the reservoir is withdrawn through intake pipes
located at different levels with a common vertical pipe.
• The vertical pipe is connected at its bottom to an intake conduit
which is taken out through the body of the dam and carries
water to the treatment plant.
• Each intake pipe is provided with bell mouth inlet which is
provided with hemispherical shaped fine screen to permit the
entry of relatively clear water.
• The valves are operated from the control room at the top.
3. Spring intake
• A spring intake is provided to abstract water from a spring source.
• It also prevents outside water and other sources of pollutants from
entering into the water supply system.
• The intake thus protects the water from getting contaminated.
• Selection basis for location of spring intakes:
1. The place should be close to the source.
2. The place should be above populated or farming areas.
3. The place should be above foot path, cattle watering and washing
places.
4. Places where surface water run-off during the monsoon can be
easily drained off.
5. Where the immediate surrounding above the spring is not easily
accessible to people and livestock.
3. Spring intake
• It consists of a valve chamber (VC) attached with collection
chamber (CC).
• Constructed of rectangular RCC or masonry chamber with a
partition wall that separates VC and CC.
• Two wing walls from CC are provided to converge and collect
water towards CC.
• Floor of CC is slightly sloped towards outlet.
• Wall of CC facing towards CC is built in dry masonry whereas
all other walls are built in cement mortar with inside and
outside plaster to prevent seepage.
• A layer of gravel and another layer of sand is placed infront of
dry wall inorder to prevent entrance of fine suspended solids.
3. Spring intake
• The top portion is backfilled with compacted clay to prevent
runoff seepage.
• A washout (WO) pipe from bottom, strainer attached outlet
pipe from a height of 10 to 15 cm above bottom and an
overflow from freeboard of CC is passed through VC.
• In VC, overflow pipe is connected to WO pipe after washout
valve and a vent pipe is joined in outlet pipe after outlet valve.
• The WO is exposed to the nearby waterways.
• CC and VC is covered with common slab with manhole for
inspection, operation and maintenance.
• When the sediment deposit approaches 5 cm below the outlet,
WO is opened for cleaning.
3. Spring intake
Protection of spring intake
• Spring intake should be protected from runoff, animals and
unauthorized entrance of people etc.
• There should not be any habitation and easy access to animals
30 to 90 m around the intake.
• One or more catch drains around the spring and intake should
be excavated to protect from contamination and physical
damage due to entrance of runoff water.
• Barbed wire fencing should be done to control unauthorized
entrance of people and animals.
• Area covered by fencing should be located at minimum 2m away
from end of wing wall and at least 5 m away upstream and
downstream from the faces of intake.
4. Lake intake
• These Intakes are constructed in the bed of lake below the low
water level so as to draw water even in dry season.
• It mainly consist of a pipe embedded in the bed of the lake
• One end of the pipe which is in middle of the lake is fitted with
bell mouth opening covered with a mesh and protected with
timber or concrete crib.
• The water enters in the pipe through the bell mouth opening
and flows under gravity to the bank where it is collected in a
sump well and then pumped to the treatment plant for
necessary treatment.
4. Lake intake
4. Lake intake
5. Canal intake
• It consists of brick masonry or stone masonry or RCC
chamber built partly in the canal bank and partly extending in
the canal section.
• The chamber has a side opening fitted with a coarse screen
kept at a height of 0.15 m above the canal bed to avoid the
entry of debris with water.
• The top of the coarse screen is provided below the low supply
level (LSL) of the canal to assure supply even at the time of low
supply.
5. Canal intake
• Water entered in the intake is conveyed from the outlet to the
treatment plant through a hemispherical bell mouth inlet with
fine screen placed at the centre of the chamber.
• Gate valve at the outlet is provided to control the flow in the
outlet pipe.
5. Canal intake