Unit 1

The five essential requirements for human existence are:

1. Air
2. Water
3. Food
4. Heat and
5. Light
Contamination of these elements may cause serious health hazards not only to man but also to
animal and plant life. Environment engineering deals with all these essential elements.
The use of the water by man, plants and animals is universal. Without it, there can be no life.
Every living thing requires water.
The use of water is increasing rapidly with our growing population. Already there are acute
shortage of both surface and under ground waters in many parts of the country. Careless
pollution and contamination of the streams, lakes, reservoirs, wells and other underground
sources has greatly impaired the quality of available water.
Need for protected water supplies.
 From the public health point of view, it is necessary that all water supplies must be
invariably free form all types of impurities whether suspended or dissolved in water and
no untoward risk should occur to the health of the public as a result of any water
contamination.
 The earliest method which the ancient people knew for securing potable supplies was by
the use of water from wells or springs.
 Most of surface waters or lakes are contaminated by suspended particles.
 Purification method is used to screen out those suspended particles.
 The water having undergone through filtration was still found to contain minutely – sized
living organism.
Thus, it may be seen of what great importance, a public water supply or water works system has
to be both from the point of view of providing an adequate and reliable supply of water catering
to all the public needs.
Objectives of water supply system. The broad objectives underlying any water supply system
are:
I. To supply safe and wholesome water to consumers,
II. To supply water in adequate quantity and
III. To make water easily available to consumers so as to encourage personal and household
cleanliness.

Sources of water
The following are common sources of water
I. Rain water
II. Surface water
III. Ground water
IV. Water obtained from reclamation
Rain water
a) From roofs of houses and dwellings: water is stored in small underground tank or
cistern, for small individual supplies.
b) From prepared catchments. The surface of catchments is made impervious by suitable
lining material, and suitable slope is given so that water is stored in moderate size
reservoirs. This water is used for commercial supplies, mostly for drinking purposes.
Surface water
a) From rivers by continuous draft: water may be collected directly from the river,
without any diversion work
 b) From river diversion: a diversion work is constructed across a perennial river and water
is diverted into a canal which leads water to the site of water purification works.
c) From reservoir storage. Where supply is not ensured throughout the year, dam may be
constructed across the river and water stored in the reservoir.
d) From direct intake from natural lakes. Water may also be obtained through direct
intakes from natural lakes which receive run-off from the adjoining catchment.
Ground water
a) From natural springs
b) From wells and bore holes
c) From infiltration galleries
Water obtained by reclamation
a) Desalination. Saline or brakish water may be rendered useful for drinking purposes by
installing desalination plants.
b) Re-use of treated waste water. Effluent or waste water can be treated suitably so that it
may be re-used.