CHAPTER SEVEN

RESERVOIR AND DISTRIBUTION

SYSTEM

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RESERVOIR AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
 Water conveyed from the source is treated by various
treatment processes. The treated water is supplied to the
consumers through a system of reservoirs and pipe networks;
which is known as distribution system.
Distribution system includes
 Service or distribution reservoir to store water for
equalization of demand and stabilizing the pressure,
 Network of pipes to convey water to the community,
 Valves to control and regulate the flows,
 Pumps to lift water from lower level to higher level

Water distribution system accounts a large portion of total

cost of water supply system, so a proper design and layout of 2
the distribution system is very important
Different types of reservoirs
1. According to use/ purpose
a. Clear water reservoir
b. Service reservoir
c. Balancing reservoir
2. According location & position
a. Surface reservoir/ground reservoir
b. Elevated reservoir
3. According to material used
a. Earthen
b. Masonry
c. RCC
d. Steel
4. According shape
a. Circular
b. Rectangular
c. Spherical
d. Egg-shaped
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VARIOUS RESERVOIRS
1. Clear water reservoir
 To store treated/filtered water from which supply to distribution
system or pumped to other tank
 Generally provided at the end of treatment plant/units
 Should have capacity of 14-16 hours of daily water demand
 May divided into number of units to enable repair and cleaning
 Generally constructed in ground by RCC or masonry.

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2. Service reservoir
 Service or distribution reservoir are used in the distribution system to
provide storage to meet fluctuation in demand of water, to provide
storage for fire fighting and emergencies such as breakdown, repairs etc.
 Should be located near to the community as far as possible to minimize
supply time , head loss, and to save cost.
 Constructed at
elevated area and
always covered to
avoid contamination
and prevent algae
growth.

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3. Balancing reservoir
 Reservoir provided to store the quantity of water required for balancing
the variation in demand against the constant supply from treatment plant
 is a type of service reservoir
 Can absorb the surplus water and also provide the deficit water during
variation

Service reservoirs are provided in the water treatment distribution system

for the following functions:
 To equalize the variation in hourly demand of water by the consumers to a
uniform rate of supply from the source either by gravity or pumping,
 To maintain the desired minimum residual pressure in the distribution
system,
 To provide the required contact time for the disinfectant added in order to
achieve effective disinfection, and
 To facilitate carrying out repairs either to the pumping main or to pump-set
without interruption to the supply of water.

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CAPACITY DETERMINATION OF SERVICE RESERVOIR
 Storage capacity of the service or distribution reservoir is
based on the following three requirements:
a) Balacing or equalizing reserve
b) Breakdown reserve
c) Fire reserve

1. Balancing storage or Equalizing storage

 The main function of a distribution reservoir is to meet the
fluctuating demand with a constant rate of supply from the
treatment plant.
 The quantity of water required to be stored in the reservoir
for equalizing or balancing this variable demand against the
constant supply is known as the balancing reservoir or
balancing storage or the storage capacity of a balancing
reservoir. 8
2. Breakdown storage
 Quantity of water to be stored in tank/reservoir for providing during
breakdown of pumps and other equipment and repairing of failure of
electricity
 Generally not more than 25% of total capacity of reservoir

3. Fire storage
 Quantity of water required to store for fire fighting
 Fire reserve , R = (F – C).T
Where,
C = reserve fire pumping capacity in l/min
F = fire demand in l/min
T = probable duration of fire time in minute
 Generally, 5 lt./Capita

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 Balancing storage can be worked out by utilizing the hydrograph of
inflow and outflow, either by mass curve method or by using an
analytical tabular solution

Mass Curve method

 The mass diagram is the plot of accumulated inflow( ie supply) or
outflow( ie demand) versus time.
 The mass curve of supply (ie supply lines) is , therefore first of all
drawn; and superimposed by the demand curve.
 The amount of balancing storage can then be easily determined by
adding the maximum ordinates between the demand and the supply
lines.

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 To construct such diagrams for a particular water supply projects, we have
to proceed as follows.

1. From the past records, determine the hourly demand (or draft) for all 24
hours for typical days (maximum, average and minimum)
2. Calculate and plot the cumulative demand against time, and thus plot the
mass curve of the demand.
3. Draw the cumulative supply also against time, as shown in figure.
4. Read the storage required, as the sum of the two maximum ordinates
between demand and supply line, as in the figures.
5. Repeat the procedure for all the typical days (maximum, average and
minimum), and determine the maximum storage required for the worst
days.

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System of water supply
 The water may be supplied to the consumer by either of the two systems:
1. Continuous system
 Water supplied for all 24 hours
 If adequate quantity of water is available, then it is possible
 Water is available for fire fighting
 Continuous circulation of water, always remains fresh
 Diameter of pipe is less
 Rusting of pipe is less due to alternate dry and wet
 Losses and wastages will be more from leakage

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2. Intermittent system
 If plenty of water is not available this system is adopted
 The supply area is divided into various zones and each zone is supplied
with water for fixed hour in a day or on alternate days
 Pipes are likely to rust faster due to alternate wet & dry. This increases
maintenance cost
 For non supply period, consumer have to store water
 Wastage of water as consumer leave their taps open
 Bigger diameter of pipes is required
 During non supply period, partial vaccum is created and induce suction of
soil particles in pipe through joints
 Large nos. of valves are required

 Despite of nos. of disadvantages, this system is usually adopted in most

cities & town in Nepal. It provide adequate pressure and repair work can
be done in non supply period easily
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CASES OF RESERVOIR SIZE DISTRIBUTION

INFLOW TO OUTFLOW TO
CASE RESERVOIR RESERVOIR

A CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS

B CONTINUOUS INTERMITTENT

C INTERMITTENT CONTINUOUS

D INTERMITTENT INTERMITTENT

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Layout of distribution system

1. Dead end system

 Suitable for irregular and haphazardly developed town and cities like
KTM valley
 Water flows in one direction only from main-sub main-branches-
service connections
 Diameter of pipe decreases at every tree branch

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Advantages
 Calculation of discharge and pressure at any point is
easy
 Comparatively less nos. Of valves required
 Simple layout of water pipes

Disadvantages
 Stagnation of water at dead end causing contamination
 Cut down of supply during repair of pipes and valves
 Limited quantity of water for fire fighting

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2. Grid Iron System

 Also known as reticulated system

 Suitable for the well planned cities with rectangular layout of roads
 Improvement over dead end system as all the dead ends are
interconnected with each other and water circulates freely through out
the system
 Water enters from the mains to branches at all junctions in either
direction into sub mains
 At any point in the line the pressure is balanced from two directions
because of interconnected network of pipes

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Advantages
 Very small area will be affected during repair and damage of pipes
 Every points receives supply from two directions and with higher
pressure
 Additional water is available for fire fighting from the other branches
 Free circulation of water, no stagnation of water

Disadvantages
 More length of pipes, large nos. Of valves needed
 Calculation of sizes of pipes and working out pressure at various
points in the system is laborious, complicated and difficult.

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3. Circular system
 More suitably and adopted only in well planned locality of cities with
well planned roads
 Each locality is divided into square or circular blocks and the water
mains are laid around the periphery
 Sub mains and branches are laid along the inner roads and are inter
connected
 Advantages and disadvantages are same as in grid iron method

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4. Radial system
 Reverse of ring system and water flows towards outer periphery
 Suitable for cities having radial road networks
 Entire area is divided into various zones and one reservoir is provided
for each zone, which is placed in centre of the city
 Has high pressure distribution and gives quick and efficient water
distribution and hence, efficient in fire fighting
 So, it requires more reservoirs
 Advantages and Disadvantages are same as in grid iron method

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Method of water supply

 Objective of a distribution system is to develop adequate water pressure

at various point of consumer’s tap
1. Gravity system
 When some ground sufficiently high above city area is available, this
can be best utilized for the distribution system in maintaining pressure
in water pipes
 Also suitable, when sources is at sufficient height than city
 Water flow under gravitational force, no pumping required, so most
reliable system for distribution of water
 But low lifting may required upto treatment plant
 Distribution pipes are designed for minimum head available at
consumer’s tap and remaining heads are consumed in frictional and
other losses

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2. Pumping system
 Pumping without storage system
 Constant pressure can be maintain in system by direct pumping
into mains
 Maintenance cost is high as nos. Of pumps are installed and
pumping is done in varying rate to meet variations of demand in a
day
 Supply can be affected during power failure and break down of
pumps. So, diesel pumps are installed in addition to electrical
pump as standby
 During fires, water can be pumped in required quantity by the
standby units
 This system is not preferred than others

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