WATER

• A substance that is composed of two chemical elements namely hydrogen and oxygen.
• Exists in three different states: solid, liquid, gaseous
• The weight of water in liquid form is 3.778 kilograms per US gallon
• Weight is 1000 kilograms per cubic meter

WATER SOURCES

• Rainfall: A liquid precipitation where water falls from the sky and can be obtained from roofs and watersheds
• Natural Surface: Any body of water above underground including ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams
• Underground: Water obtained below ground by means of mechanical and manual equipment

METHODS OF WATER PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT

• Sedimentation: The process of separating solids from liquids by gravity. Particles that are suspended in the water settle in the bottom of a container and become sediments.
• Chemical Treatment: Chemicals such as chlorine, chloramine, or chlorine dioxide are used to disinfect and kill bacteria, cure turbid taste or mud taste, and remove salts, clay, and iron
• Filtration: A treatment where water travels through filters made of various materials (such as sand, gravel, and charcoal) with varying pore sizes to remove and dissolve particles of matter present in the water.
• Aeration: is the process of combining air and water in order to oxidize dissolved metals like iron and remove dissolved gases like carbon dioxide

WATER SUPPLY EQUIPMENTS

• Pumps - A piece of machinery that is used when water is impossible to pipe directly to a structure, tank, or reservoir under its natural pressure.
• Types of Pump
  • Lift Pump
  • Force Pump
  • Reciprocating Pump
    • Power Pump
      • Horizontal Reciprocating
      • Vertical Reciprocating
    • Direct-acting pump
      • Deep well plunger
      • Centrifugal
      • Hydraulic
• Water Tanks: Refers to a container that is used either to collect water without considering the pressure or to store water under air pressure.

FIXTURE USED FOR WATER TANKS

• Cylindrical G.I. tank
• Spherical PVC tank
• Rectangular reinforced concrete
• Rectangular steel tank riveted
• Pneumatic tank (pressurized)
• Stainless steel tank
• Suction Tank: Are constructed of riveted or welded steel plates; the larger often being divided into two compartments. These tanks must be large enough to contain at least one day’s water supply for the entire building in case the city main is temporarily shut off.

THREE WAYS OF WATER DISTRIBUTION

• Upfeed System: Low-rise buildings use a water distribution system called 'up feed distribution', where water is forced upwards by the pressure from the water main or pressure tanks.
• Pneumatic Tank: Tall buildings use a water distribution system from the air pressure of a suction tank which cannot be reached by normal pressure
• Downfeed System: Pumps raise the water to storage tanks on the roof deck or at the top of the building where water is then dropped to the plumbing fixtures.

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES OF DOWNFEED

• Advantages
  • Water supply is not affected by the peak load hour even if the pressure at the water main becomes low.
  • Power interruption does not affect the water supply inside the building.
  • Shorter intervals when replacing the parts in case the pumping unit breaks down.
• Disadvantages
  • Water inside the tank exposed to the atmosphere is subject to contamination
  • Due to many working parts, it has higher maintenance cost
  • The overall installation of the pumping unit occupies valuable space
  • The building requires a strong foundation to sustain tank

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES OF UPFEED

• Advantages
  • Eliminates extra cost of pumps and tanks
• Disadvantages
  • Pressure from the water main is inadequate to supply tall buildings
  • Water supply is affected during peak load hour

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC TANKS

• Advantages
  • Contact pumping unit requires limited space
  • Water pressure being airtight makes the system a sanitary one
  • Compressed oxygen air tend to purify the water and make it more palatable
• Disadvantages
  • In case of water interruptions, the water supply is greatly affected by the loss of pressure inside tank

WATER PIPES AND FITTINGS

• Types of Fittings
  • Threaded
  • Flanged
  • Soldered
  • Compression
  • Glued
• Malleable Fittings
  • Straight coupling
  • Street tee
  • Socket
  • Reducing socket
  • Straight tee
  • 45 degree elbow
  • 90 degree elbow
  • Return bend
  • Floor flange
  • Hose adapter
• Polybutylene (PB)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR PLUMBING INSTALLATION

• Galvanized Iron (G.I.) or steel pipes
• Synthetic pipes
• Cast iron pipes
• Acid resistant cast iron pipes
• Asbestos pipes
• Bituminous fiber sewer pipe
• Vitrified clay pipe
• Lead pipe
• Galvanized wrought iron pipes
• Brass pipes
• Copper pipes

SIZED OF PIPES

• MAXIMUM DEMAND: The maximum water discharge for plumbing fixtures in terms of unit. The maximum demand of water supply is equal to the total fixture units in the plumbing system wherein one unit is approximately valued at 8 gallons of water discharge per minute.
• PROBABLE DEMAND: The expected or anticipated average water consumption in a plumbing system.
• FIXTURE UNIT VALUES
  • 1 unit
    • 15 sq. m roof drain
    • Floor drain
    • Residential sink 1 ½
  • 2 units
    • Lavatory or wash basin
    • Bath tub
    • Kitchen sink
    • Laundry tun
    • Shower bath
    • Sink, hotel or public
  • 3 units
    • Stop sink
    • Combination fixture
  • 5 units
    • Urinal
  • 6 units
    • Water closet
  • 8 units
    • One bath group consisting of water closet, lavatory, bath tub, and overhead shower