Environmental Engineering

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Mohit Singla
Asst. Professor, CE
RKGIT
Distribution System
Requirements of Good Distribution System (Technical,
Financial, Managerial)
• Capable of supplying water at all intended places (Domestic, commercial,
industrial & Institutional), with sufficient pressure head.
• Capable of supplying the requisite amount of water during fire fighting.
• Cheap with least capital construction.
• Simple and easy to operate and repair, thereby keeping low RMO cost.
• Safe against contamination, quality of water must not get deteriorated.
• Safe design to resist internal pressures.
• Water-tight to minimise losses (efficiency).
Layout of Distribution Networks:
• Distribution system consists of:
• Supply mains
• Submains
• Branches
• Laterals (min 8 t0 10 cm in dia)
• Joints
• Valves
• Sluice valve
• Drain Valve
• Air valves
Layout of Distribution Networks:
• Dead end system
• Grid iron system
• Ring system
• Radial System
• Dead end system
• It is suitable for old towns and cities having no definite pattern of roads.
• Relatively cheap, shorter lengths of pipe, lesser cutoff valves.
• Determination of discharge and pressure easier due to less number of valves.
• Due to many dead ends, stagnation of water occurs in pipes.
• Diversion of water might not be possible.
• Repairs causes inconvenience to greater population.
Layout of Distribution Networks:
Layout of Distribution Networks:
• Grid Iron System:
• It is suitable for cities with rectangular layout, where the water mains and
branches are laid in rectangles.
Layout of Distribution Networks (Grid-Iron System):
• Since water flow is from many directions to a point, Discharge carried by
pipe, size of pipe is lesser, as friction losses are less.

• Water is kept in good circulation due to the absence of dead ends.

• In the cases of a breakdown in some section, water is available from some

other direction, also helps in fire fighting.

• Exact calculation of sizes of pipes is not possible due to provision of valves

on all branches.

• More length of pipe is required.

Layout of Distribution Networks:
• Ring System:
Layout of Distribution Networks:
• The supply main is laid all along the peripheral roads and sub mains branch out
from the mains.

• This system also follows the grid iron system with the flow pattern similar in
character to that of dead end system.

• Determination of the size of pipes is easy.

• Water can be supplied to any point from at least two directions.

Layout of Distribution Networks:
• Radial System:
Layout of Distribution Networks:
• The area is divided into different zones.

• The water is pumped into the distribution reservoir kept in the

middle of each zone.

• The supply pipes are laid rapidly ending towards the periphery.
• It gives quick service.

• Calculation of pipe size is easy.

Methods of Distribution:

• Gravitational System.

• Pumping System

• Combined Gravity and pumping system.

Gravitational System :
• Can be adopted when source of supply
is at sufficient height, rather than
service reservoir.
• Most reliable and economical
distribution system.
• The water head available at the
consumer is adequate (kept to
minimum by increasing HL ).
• The remaining head is consumed in the
frictional and other losses.
• May be adopted for hilly areas.
Pumping System :
• Treated water is directly
pumped in to the distribution
main with out storing.
• Also called pumping without
storage system.
• High lifts pumps are required.
• If power supply fails,
complete stoppage of water
supply.
• This method is not generally
used.
Combined System :
• Most common system.
• Treated water is pumped and
stored in anelevated distribution
reservoir.
• Then supplies to consumer by
action of gravity.
• The excess water during low
demand periods get stored in
reservoir and get supplied
duringhigh demand period.
• Economical, efficient and reliable
system.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Distribution reservoirs, also called service reservoirs, are the storage reservoirs,
which store the treated water for supplying water during emergencies ( such as
during fires, repairs, etc.) and also to help in absorbing the hourly fluctuations
in the normal water demand.

• Functions:
• Makes the distribution system economical.
• To absorb the hourly variations in demand, reduces RMO cost.
• To maintain constant pressure in the distribution main.
• Duration of pumping may be made convenient.
• Water stored can be supplied during emergencies.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Location & height of distribution reservoirs
• Located in heart of city, near to the places of heaviest demands.
• This ensure lesser head loss due to friction.

• Water level in the reservoir must be at sufficient elevation to

permit gravity flow at an adequate pressure.

• May be placed between pumping station and distribution area (if

whole supply is designed from reservoirs) or may be placed far
from pumping station at farther end of city (if supply is partial
from reservoirs)
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• TYPES of RESERVOIRS
• Depending upon the elevation with respect to ground, they may be classified
into:
• Surface reservoirs
• Elevated reservoirs
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Surface reservoirs
• These also called ground reservoir.
• Mostly circular or rectangular tanks.
• Underground reservoir are preferred especially when the size is large.
• These reservoirs are constructed high natural grounds and are usually made of
stones, brick, plain or reinforced concrete cement.
• The side walls are designed to take up the pressure of the water, when the
reservoir is full and the earth pressure, when it is empty.
• The position of ground water table is also considered while designing these
reservoirs.
• To obtain water tightness bitumen compounds are used at all construction joints.
• For aeration of water and inspection, ventilation pipes and stairs are provided.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Elevated reservoirs
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• It is also referred to as overhead tanks are required at distribution areas which are
not governed and controlled by the gravity system of distribution.
• These are rectangular, circular or elliptical in shape.
• If the topography of the town not suitable for under gravity, the elevated tank or
reservoir are used.
• They are constructed where combine gravity and pumping system of water
distribution is adopted.
• These tanks may be steel or RCC.
• The accessories of ESR are-
• Inlet and outlet pipe, overflow pipe discharging into a drain
• Float gauge, indicating depth of water.
• Automatic device to stop pumping when the tank is full.
• A manhole and ladder.
• Ventilator for circulation of fresh air.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Storage Capacity of Distribution Reservoirs:
• The total storage capacity of a distribution reservoir is the summation of:
• Balancing Storage: The quantity of water required to be stored in the reservoir
for equalising or balancing fluctuating demand against constant supply is
known as the balancing storage (or equalizing or operating storage).

• Breakdown Storage: The breakdown storage or often called emergency storage

is the storage preserved in order to tide over the emergencies posed by the
failure of pumps, electricity, or any other mechanism driving the pumps.
• A value of about 25% of the total storagecapacity of reservoirs, or 1.5 to 2 times of the
average hourly supply, may be considered as enough provision for accounting this
storage.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Fire Storage: The third component of the total reservoir storage is the fire storage. This
provision takes care of the requirements of water for extinguishing fires.
• A provision of 1 to 4 liters per person per day is sufficient to meet the requirement.
• Concept of service and balancing reservoir:
• The balancing storage may be worked out by utilizing hydrographs of inflow and outflow,
either by mass curve method or by using by an analytical tubular solution.
• Mass Curve Method: A mass diagram is the plot of accumulated inflow (i.e. supply) and
outflow (i.e. demand) versus time the mass curve of supply is, therefore, first of all, drawn;
and is superimposed by the demand curve.
• The amount of balancing storage can be easily determined by adding the maximum
coordinates between the demand and the supply lines.
• To construct such a diagram for a particular water supply project we have to proceed as
follows:
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• From the past records determine the hourly
demand for all 24 hours for typical days
(maximum, average, minimum).
• Calculate and plot the cumulative demand
against time, and thus plot the mass of
demand.
• Draw the cumulative supply also against time
to plot the supply line or mass curve of
supply
• Read the storage required, as the sum of the
two maximum ordinates between demand
and supply line.
• Repeat the procedure for all the typical days
and determine the maximum storage
required for the worst day.
DISTRIBUTION RESERVOIRS
• Analytical Method:
• Cumulative hourly demand and cumulative hourly supplies are
tabulated for all 24 hours.

• The hourly excess of demand as well as the hourly excess of supply

(cumulative of course) are then worked out.

• The summation of maximum of excess of demand and maximum of

excess of supply will give us the required balancing storage.
CONTD…