Building Utilities 1 – Plumbing and Sanitary Systems

Introduction to Plumbing

B.S. Architecture 2A & B

1st Sem./A.Y.2023-2024

Arch’t. JERMEL DICHOSO-GRULLA

Assistant Professor 3
• Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:
1. Describe Plumbing and discuss its origin;
2. Compare the different impurities of water;
3. Compare and explain the methods of purifying and treatment of
water.
PLUMBING
• the art and science of installing pipes, fixtures
and other apparatus to convey and supply
water in buildings and to dispose and
discharge waste, water and other liquids,
gases and other substances out of the
buildings, in a safe, orderly, healthy and
sanitary way to ensure the health and
sanitation of life and property.
• prehistoric times:
- man left traces of plumbing works: water supply and waste
disposal method which offered proofs that even early man realized
the importance of plumbing
- these crude devices were the fore runners of modern day
plumbing.

– Archaeologists have found evidence of systems for disposal of

human waste in dwellings 10,000 years old. Waste disposal and
running water were commonly incorporated in the palaces of
royalty and priests as early as the time of the Indus Valley
civilization (about 2500 to 1700 BC)
• Greco-Roman civilization - concept and importance of plumbing
became more defined and appreciated during this period.
- Thermae
- aqueduct

PLUMBER – a title given to a person who is a skilled worker in the

field of sanitation
- derived from the ancient Roman term “plumbarius “ which
was taken from the Latin word “plumbum”
Plumbarius – refers to an individual who worked in the
sanitary field of Ancient Rome
Plumbum – Latin word which means lead, a metal
commonly used as a plumbing material in ancient Rome preferred
for its twin properties of malleability and resistance to acid.
 PLUMBING IN THE PHILIPPINES
• Before the 1940s
- plumbing installation in a household was still considered a luxury,
thus, available only to the upper crust of the society.
– The majority of the population, not able to afford plumbing
installation in their homes
– were ignorant of the importance of a proper sanitation facilities in
the form of an efficient water supply and waste disposal system
– resorted to indigenous and ingenious methods for their water
supply and waste disposal requirements, unmindful of any ill-effects
to sanitation.
• Water Supply.
– in the absence of an efficient, scientific and centralized
water supply and distribution system, water was provided
with the abundant rain, springs, wells, rivers, creeks, etc.
– conveyed through improvised pipes made of bamboos,
hollow tree trunks and the like, carried either by man
himself or through animal drawn carts or sleds, and were
stocked in earthen jars, wooden containers, bamboo
containers, etc.
– In these times water was considered fit for consumption
as long as it was clear – there was no available means to
test it for purity such as being free from disease-causing
organisms.
• Waste Disposal.
– majority of the population, who cannot afford plumbing in
their homes, availed of and utilized any possible means of
convenience for their waste disposal:
– Early attempts at plumbing (waste disposal) proved
unsatisfactory: toilets constructed did not have any
depository but only shelter or cover, sited alongside of
rivers.
– These early sewage disposal practices were not only
harmful to human health but also to the environment,
more specifically to the more populated urban areas.
Thus, it did not take long for a burgeoning urban
population to realize the importance of sanitation facilities
in the form of an efficient water and sewage system.
– Due to the eminent outbreak of epidemics certain sector of the
society and the government introduced programs to remedy the
situation.
• Massive education on proper sanitation was initiated.
• Water supply systems were constructed in some urban areas.
• Model toilets were built
• Low cost concrete water seal closet was introduced to the rural
residents backed up by local ordinances requiring every
residence to have a sanitary comfort room with proper sewage
disposal system popularly known as “septic tank”.
 Two Main Objectives of
Plumbing:
1. To supply water to different parts
of the building
2. To remove and discharge human
waste and other substances out
of building into the public sewer
or septic tank.
 PLUMBING SYSTEM

– includes the water supply and distribution pipes;

plumbing fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent
pipes; house drain; house drain and house sewers
including their respective connections, devices and
appurtenances within the property lines of
premises; and water treating or water using
equipment.
 WATER SUPPLY

Water – a combination of two

elementary substances: hydrogen
and oxygen (H2O)
• Water’s natural states:
– liquid: 830 times heavier than
air
– solid: ice form
– gas: in the form of vapor or
steam; 133 times lighter than
air
Three Sources of Water:

1. Rainfall

2. Natural surface: water from

streams, rivers, lakes, ponds

3. Underground water: dug and

deep wells
 Rainfall
a. Advantage/s
• obtained from roofs and watersheds
• soft, pure and good on places where there is an
abundant rainfall
b. Disadvantage/s
• hard to store for a long time as it will be a
breeding place for mosquitoes
• requires big containers for storing big quantities
for long uses
• roofs may not be clean
• bad for places that receives a little amount of
rainfall
 Natural surface
a. Advantage
• obtained from ponds, lakes, rivers and the
like: easy to procure and good for localities
near such bodies of water
b. Disadvantage
• dangerous because it contain large
amount of bacteria, organic and inorganic
substances of varying quantities.
 Underground water
a. Advantage/s
• obtained from below ground surface by means
of mechanical and manual equipment
• more water can be obtained depending on
equipment used and the locality
b. Disadvantage/s
• because of various organic matter and chemical
element present, it requires treatment of various
nature, such as sedimentation, chemical,
filtration, and aeration
 Common Impurities of Water:
1. Entrained gases
• carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane,
oxygen, nitrogen, and organic compounds
2. Dissolved minerals
• calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron and
manganese, and other carbonates and silicates,
alkyl benzene, sulfate from detergents and
synthetic organic from insecticides and
pesticides
3. Suspended and colloidal materials
• bacteria, algae, fungi, silt, protozoa, and other
colloidal matters making the water colored and
acidic
4. Radioactive materials
• by entrainment of radioactive substances from
mining or processing ores, or by wastes from
industrial use of radioactive materials
– Among the minerals present in water through
artificial means is lead. Lead pipes should not be used
for the distribution of soft, acid water or for water
having a high concentration of dissolved oxygen or
chlorides. The solution of lead and water with such
characteristics may cause lead poisoning.
 Water Purification
• is the process of removing undesirable chemicals,
materials, and biological contaminants from
contaminated water.
• Goal: to produce water fit for a specific purpose.
– Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking
water)
– but water purification may also be designed for a variety of
other purposes, including meeting the requirements of
medical, pharmacology, chemical and industrial
applications.
– The purification process of water may reduce the
concentration of particulate matter including suspended
particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi; and a
range of dissolved and particulate material derived from
the surfaces that water may have made contact with after
falling as rain.
Methods of Purification and
Treatment of Water
1. Sedimentation
2. Chemical Treatment
3. Filtration
4. Aeration
 Sedimentation
• is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out
of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to
rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion
through the fluid in response to the forces acting on
them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal
acceleration or electromagnetism.
• Particles of matter that are suspended in the water are
allowed to stay in the container so that they will settle
in the bottom, then, these sediments are left in the
container when the water is drawn out.
Watch the video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seFuFG_x-b8
 Chemical Treatment
• water are given chemical treatments to kill the
harmful bacteria present and to cure the turbid taste
or mud taste, remove clay, salts, iron, etc. Chlorine is
the commonly used chemical.
 Filtration
• is commonly the mechanical or physical operation
which is used for the separation of solids from fluids
(liquids or gases) by interposing a medium (commonly
used materials are sand and gravel) through which
only the fluid can pass. Oversize solids in the fluid are
retained, but the separation is not complete.
 Aeration
• or the saturation of water with air. In this process,
water is brought into contact with air in such a
manner as to produce maximum diffusion, usually by
spraying water into the air in fountains. Aeration
removes odors and taste caused by decomposing
organic matter, and also industrial wastes such as
phenols and volatile gases such as chlorine.

For additional info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGMFa7c1Atk

• Water and You: The Water Treatment Process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMP9-49I1U4
 • QUESTIONS?
• CLARIFICATIONS?
• VIOLENT REACTION?
• SOMETHING TO ADD?
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!