Building Systems for Interior Designers - Water and Waste Systems

Flashcards related to water and waste systems in interior design, covering plumbing codes, water usage, and plumbing system components.

Potable

Fit for drinking

Non-potable

Water not safe for drinking

Potable water

Water suitable for drinking; usually has been treated. Most household uses, including flushing toilets.

Rainwater

Pure water distilled by hydrologic process. Runoff from roofs may contain contaminants. Little or no treatment required. Bathing, laundry, toilet flushing, irrigation, evaporative cooling.

Graywater

Wastewater from sinks, baths, showers; not from toilets or urinals. Likely contains soap, hair, human waste from soiled clothes, grease and food from kitchen wastes. Treatment required for reuse to flush toilets. Filtering required for drip irrigation.

Dark graywater

From kitchen sinks, dishwashers, washing diapers. Usually prohibited from reuse.

Blackwater

Water containing toilet or urinal waste. Requires high level treatment.

Stack

A vertical pipe

Waste stack

Carries gray liquid wastes from plumbing fixtures other than human waste

Soil stack

Carries human waste from toilets/urinals to the building sewer (min. 4" dia.)

Traps

Designed to catch & hold a quantity of water (to provide a seal)

Vents

Vertical pipes that connect above the fixtures

Vent Stack

The part of a vent pipe that extends through the roof