A few cities which have supplies originating in mountainous areas can

furnish wter to consumers entirely by gravity. Usually, however, it is

necessary to raise the wter by means of pumps at one or more points in
the system. Pumps may be needed, therefore, to lift wter from a lake,
reservoir, on river to a water treatment plant, and after treatment another
lift will be needed to force the water into the mains and elevated storage. In
the system, booster pumps may be needed at certain points to keep
pressure at desirable leveles. Where wells are the sources of supply, pumps
will be needed to raise the water into a collecting basin, unless the wells are
of artesian or flowing type. From the collecting basin the main pump or
pumps will force the water into the mains. Very small cities depending upon
a single well may raisc the water from the well and into the mains in one
pumping operation. For pumping into the mains, standby or emergency
pumps will be needed to oprate when breakdowns occur or take care of the
great demand incident to a large fire.
The waterworks engineer is concerned with several factors when deciding
upon the equipment required to pump water. These are the realibility of the
service that will be given, the first cost of the equipment, and the operating
cost. The total annual expensive involve will include interest upon first cost,
plus the annual depreciation and annual operating cost. Other factors being
equal, the choice is made so that the sum of these three tems is a
mnimum, although the necessity for reliability and uninterrupted operation
is the most important consideration.
Classification of pumps
Most pumping machinery used in public water supply systems may be
broadly divided into three general clases, reciprocating, rotary, and
centrifugal. The reciprocating class typically consist of a piston or plunger
which alternately draws water into a cylinder on the intake stroke and then
forces it out on the discharge stroke. The rotary type contains two rotating
pistons or gears which interlock and draw water into the chamber and force
in practically continuously into the discharge pipe. The centrifugal type has
an impeller with radial vanes rotating swiftly to draw water into the center
and discharge it by centrifugal force.
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