MALAYAN COLLEGES LAGUNA

MAPUA INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY AT

LAGUNA

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL

ENGINEERING

2022
 Applications of Hydraulics in Water Management Systems

Author : Reyna Rhiza D. Fausto

Malayan Colleges Laguna

KEYWORDS

Fluid mechanics – a branch in mechanics that deals with fluids and its different states as well as
the reactions of fluids to certain forces

Hydraulics – a branch of science and technology mainly concerned with conveyance of liquids
through pipes and other open channels as a source of mechanical force.

Dams – a structure built to hold water and raise the level to create a reservoir used to generate
electricity and water supply.

Open Channel - a waterway, canal or a conduit in which liquid flows over a free – surface.

Specific weight – the unit of a substance per unit volume in absolute unit equivalent to density
multiplied by gravity.

Specific gravity – ratio of a substance to the density of a liquid.

Fluid flow – the motion of fluid subjected to unbalanced forces. Typically written in rate Q.

Moment of inertia – a body’s tendency to resist angular acceleration.

 ABSTRACT

From 500 B.C. to 500 A.D., there was a period of time known as the Bronze Age.
Irrigation and water supply systems were built and maintained in places as different as China, the
Roman Empire, and North America prior to the Middle Ages. Despite Archimedes' contribution,
such engineering was conceived and built by artisans employing rules of thumb, artists who
lacked the benefits of scientific investigation. The great Roman engineers, for example, had no
idea of velocity, and it wasn't until the year a.d. that they did. It wasn't until 1500 that the link
between rainfall and streamflow was recognized. Many of the accomplishments gained during
the Greco-Roman period were forgotten as the Roman Empire crumbled, only to be rediscovered
during the Renaissance. Hydraulics as a science began to take shape during this time period.

Despite the French dominance during the classical period, work was carried out in other
countries. John Smeaton, for example, was a pioneer in many aspects of hydraulic engineering in
England and was the first to designate himself a civil engineer. However, engineering designs
were still primarily relied on rules of thumb derived through experience and tempered with
generous safety considerations as late as 1850. The use of theory has risen dramatically since
then. Most project designs today include a significant degree of rigorous computation. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This journal is authored by Reyna Rhiza D. Fausto under the supervision of Ms. Kristine
Cervancia, as a partial fulfillment of task under Hydraulics. All contents are written with proper
citation and with proper acknowledgement to the books, reports and journals used as a reference
for definitive structure of the whole research journal.

INTRODUCTION

Hydraulic engineering is the scientific application of hydraulic science to issues that deals
with water management and its uses. With this discipline, dams and reservoirs and their ancillary
structures such as spillways, bottom outlets, intakes and etc. are critical infrastructures not only
for irrigation but also for water supply and electricity generation through water mechanics, flood
control, water navigation and recreation such as tourism and storage. “According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), 1.1 billion people (17% of the global population) lack access to
safe drinking water, meaning that they have to revert to unprotected wells or springs, canals,
lakes, or rivers to fetch water; 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation; and 1.8 million people
die every year from diarrheal diseases, including 90% of children under age 5.” (Wang, et al.,
2016)

Water usage goes widely for different purposes within communities mainly for drinking,
cooking, washing, laundry, cleaning, as well as air condition and heating for countries with
different temperature management and for aesthetic purposes for high rise buildings with built-in
wall-falls and fountains for facades. In the Philippines, water supply goes through systematic
methods of sanitation and filtration to ensure that the water supplied through larges areas of
metro manila and near cities are safe and well sanitized. According to Asian development Bank
in a study they conducted in 2013, Rapid urbanization is one of the main causes of water scarcity
with Philippines having over 138 cities, 1496 municipalities and 42,027 barangays since the start
of 21st Century. Over population resulted to significant pressure on urban infrastructures
specifically in areas where population is growing fastest. Out of 17 regions, CALABARZON
which is next to Metro Manila was noted as the most populated area in the Philippines back in
2013 with over 12 million inhabitants. With that said, demand for clean water supply has
drastically increased since then.

At the topic of water scarcity, Climate change is one of the most common factors that have
affected Water supply around the world. From contamination to decreased supply, The NWRB
reported a total of 20,200 million cubic meter / year of available ground water supply in 2013.
Based on 80% surface water probability of surface water supply, there is a total of 206,230
million in cubic meters per year which is around 226,430 million cu. Meter annually. The said
available ground water supply is then distributed to agricultural use, industrial, commercial, and
domestic use.

MAIN BODY

Applications of hydraulics in water resources management goes in various ways and contributes
in different sectors. Dams for example is a kind of water management system in Hydraulics
where its main purpose is to create a reservoir of water which is also a source of hydroelectric
generation for electricity. In Philippines, the main source of water supply is Angat dam, Ipo and
La Mesa dams as well as Balara treatment plants that converts water to its clean and potable
state. With Angat dam as the main source os water supply, it is directly connected to Ipo dam
which then flows to 6.4 Km to Bicti and passes through 5 aqueducts about 16 Km long each to
La Mesa dam. The La Mesa water treatment facility relies mostly on the hydraulic properties of
water to backwash the filter and gravity as a conveyer of water from source to distribution
system.

Although there are many natural sources of water such as river banks, lakes, river basing and
ground water these resources does not equip the community and the municipalities from having
safe water because these sources does not have filtration systems int hem unlike hydraulics
treatment plants which carries out the filtration and cleaning of water for everyday use.

Aside from dams, open channel is also common application in terms of hydraulics which tackles
the flow of water downhill in any surface exposed to atmosphere. Open Channel Hydraulics is a
study in the mechanics of water flowing in open conduits according to related studies about
hydraulics and its application. There are many types of open channel systems usually they are
used to convey stream flow in developed areas. Different types of open channels have different
cross-sectional areas to provide different slopes and alignments which then changes the condition
of the water flow which requires specific computational techniques to calculate how much water
flows over a friction surface and a smooth surface specially how they differ in many ways.

Related to these various hydrological systems, data are gathered to study and indicate the amount
of water available for use. Given different calculating methods these data tell us the current
status of water reserves throughout the nation. It also provides our researchers the data they need
to come up with different solutions and sustainable ways for environmental advantage.

CONCLUSION

The study of Hydraulics contributes essentially to the engineering field specifically in Civil
engineering where the use of mechanical sources such as Hydropower and Hydrogeneration is
significant not only for electricity generation but also for sustainable Water management.
Through this, municipalities will be able to control flood and other water difficulties in the
future.

REFERENCES
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