WATER SUPPLY

TECHNOLOGY
Kimberly Claire Pascual
Kyle Brian G. Encarnacion
 Water Supply
 is the process of providing of water in a systematic through
installed pumps and pipelines
 Before water is provided to a specific area, it undergoes a
process called sanitation to ensure that the quality of water
received is safe for human consumption
 Water supply system get water from a variety of locations after
appropriate treatment (e.g. desalination)
 4 Types of Water
Surface Water
• It includes streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. Also, people uses around 78% of the fresh water.
Ground Water
• which makes up around 22% of the water we use, is the water beneath the earth’s surface filling cracks and
other openings in beds of rock and sand. It exists in soils and sands that are able to retain water.
Waste Water
• is any water that has been affected in quality by human activities.
Storm Water
• is defined by U.S. EPA as the runoff generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt events flows over
land or impervious surfaces without percolating into the ground.
 Water Treatment
Purification
Disinfection through chlorination and fluoridation

o Treated water then either flows by gravity or is pumped to reservoirs,

which can be elevated such as water towers or on the ground
 History of Water Supply
• Brick-lined wells were built by city dwellers in the Indus River basin as early as 2500 BCE, and
wells almost 500 metres (more than 1,600 feet) deep are known to have been used in ancient China.
• Construction of qanāts, slightly sloping tunnels driven into hillsides that contained groundwater,
probably originated in ancient Persia about 700 BCE. From the hillsides the water was conveyed by
gravity in open channels to nearby towns or cities. The use of qanāts became widespread
throughout the region, and some are still in existence. Until 1933 the Iranian capital city, Tehrān,
drew its entire water supply from a system of qanāts.
• The need to channel water supplies from distant sources was an outcome of the growth of urban
communities. Among the most notable of ancient water-conveyance systems are the aqueducts built
between 312 BCE and 455 CE throughout the Roman Empire.
 History of Water Supply
• Channels were constructed of cut stone, brick, rubble, or rough concrete. Pipes were
typically made of drilled stone or of hollowed wooden logs, although clay and lead pipes
were also used. During the Middle Ages there was no notable progress in the methods or
materials used to convey and distribute water.
• Cast iron pipes with joints capable of withstanding high pressures were not used very
much until the early 19th century. The steam engine was first applied to water-pumping
operations at about that time, making it possible for all but the smallest communities to
have drinking water supplied directly to individual homes. Asbestos cement, ductile iron,
reinforced concrete, and steel came into use as materials for water supply pipelines in the
20th century.
 Developments in Water Treatment
Water treatment is the alteration of a water source in order to achieve a quality
that meets specified goals. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the
20th, the main goal was elimination of deadly waterborne diseases. The treatment
of public drinking water to remove pathogenic, or disease-causing,
microorganisms began about that time. Treatment methods included sand
filtration as well as the use of chlorine for disinfection. The virtual elimination of
diseases such as cholera and typhoid in developed countries proved the success of
this water-treatment technology. In developing countries, waterborne disease is
still the principal water quality concern.
 Municipal Water Consumption
• In the United States the average is approximately 380 litres (100 gallons) per capita per day for domestic
and public needs. Overall, the average total demand is about 680 litres (180 gallons) per capita per day,
when commercial and industrial water uses are included. (These figures do not include withdrawals from
freshwater sources for such purposes as crop irrigation or cooling operations at electric power-generating
facilities.)
• Water consumption in some developing countries may average as little as 15 litres (4 gallons) per capita
per day. The world average is estimated to be approximately 60 litres (16 gallons) per person per day.
• On a a hot summer day, for example, it is not unusual for total water consumption to be as much as 200
percent of the average demand. The peak demands in residential areas usually occur in the morning and
early evening hours (just before and after the normal workday). Water demands in commercial and
industrial districts, though, are usually uniform during the work day. Minimum water demands typically
occur in the very early or predawn mornng hours.
Municipal Water Consumption
 How Do Our Water Systems Work?
• Source water – the lakes, rivers and underground aquifers that are the source of our
water supply, fed by rain and melting snow.
• Water treatment – the processes to filter and purify water so that it is safe for human
use.
• Water distribution systems – the pipes and pumps that deliver clean water to our
taps. In BC there are more than 32,000 km of underground water pipes – that is
enough pipe to circle 80% of the way around the earth!
• Wastewater treatment – the processes to remove contaminants from our used water
so that it can be safely returned to the environment. This is also called sewage
treatment.
 How Do Our Water Systems Work?
• Wastewater collection systems – the pipes and pumps that take away used
water from our toilets, drains, bathtubs, and laundry. These are also called
sewers. In BC, there are over 26,000 km of municipal sewer pipes
underground – that is enough pipe to circle two-thirds of the way around the
earth!
• Stormwater systems – the pipes, ditches and natural systems that channel
our rain water and snow melt away from our homes and businesses and back
to the natural environment. In BC there are over 20,000 km of stormwater
pipes underground – that is enough pipe to circle half way around the earth!
 Steps In Municipal Sewage Treatment
• Preliminary treatment
• This stage of treatment removes grit, like sand and gravel, egg shells, coffee grounds etc. from raw sewage. 12% of municipal
sewage in Canada receives no treatment or preliminary treatment before it is discharged into the environment.
• Primary treatment
• This stage of treatment starts with temporary holding of sewage to allow the solids to sink to the bottom, and oil and grease to float
to the top. The settled and floating material is removed, and the remaining liquid is moved to the next stage of treatment or
discharged to the environment. 30% of municipal sewage in Canada receives preliminary and primary treatment before it is released
into the environment.
• Secondary treatment
• This stage of treatment removes dissolved and suspended biological matter and the remaining liquid is moved to the next stage of
treatment or discharged to the environment. 51% of municipal sewage in Canada receives preliminary, primary and secondary
treatment before it is released back into the environment.
• Tertiary treatment
• In this stage of treatment, water is treated with chemicals and filtered prior to being released to the environment. 7% of municipal
sewage in Canada receives preliminary, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment before it is released back into the environment.
 Factors Affecting Water Supply System
• Climate – low levels of rainfall and high temperatures lead to water
deficits. Water surpluses are common where rainfall is high
and temperatures are lower.
• Geology – rainfall flows down to the rocks beneath the ground. Some
rocks are permeable and allow water to flow through them.
Permeable rocks can lead to less surface water.
 Factors Affecting Water Supply System
• Pollution – some places have plenty of water, but pollution has made it
unsafe to use. Untreated sewage and waste water from factories cause
problems. Groundwater is usually cleaner, although pollutants can travel
down into the ground. 
• Over-abstraction – when water is taken from aquifers, groundwater
levels fall. If the amount of water taken is greater than the amount of
water falling as rain, it is called over-abstraction. The land here
is subsiding and water is becoming scarcer.
 Factors Affecting Water Supply System
• Limited infrastructures – pipelines are needed to safely move water
from place to place. Sealed pipes reduce the potential for leaks and
pollution.