BUILDING WATER SUPPLY

& CHAPTER 4

AAiT.SCEE ZERIHUN ALEMAYEHU

Purpose of WS system
✓ Provide potable water supply to fixtures from water sources

✓ For sanitation (toilets, shower/bath and laundry)

✓ Cooking (kitchen)

✓ Gardening and

✓ fire protection
Types of System
✓ Direct connection from the main to all fixtures

✓ Direct connection to overhead tank and then to all fixtures

✓ Pumped system

- Direct pumping to fixtures (fire fighting)

- Pumping from ground/underground/ storage to

overhead tank then to all fixtures
Building areas requiring water supply
system
WH

Hand wash
basin

Water closet

Bath tub
 Hand wash Basin (HWB)
Water closet (WC)

Bath tub faucet

Bath Tub (BT) Shower head (SH)

Kitchen sink (KS)
Dish Washer (DW)

Laundry (LA)
 Urinals (UR)

Emergency Shower (ESH)

Eye wash (EW)

Storage tank /Cistern
✓ Capacity
– Likelihood and frequency of supply breakdown
– Type and use of buildings
– Number of occupants
– Recommended min. storage in l/h/d is given in
4.8 Design of water distribution – system
1 General requirement: sizing of pipes and fittings
- Without over sizing
- To deliver the required design flow rate
- For simple projects from bases of experience
and in all other cases with good engineering
practice.
- To meet the maximum peak demand
- To meet the connected plumbing fixtures and
equipment water demand

10
2 Rate of flow
I. Design flow rate and loading units (Table 4.8)
II. Shall satisfy the required simultaneous
discharge
III. Loading units should not be used for outlet
fittings having high peak demands, e.g. those
in industrial installations. In these cases use
the continuous flow.
IV. Table 4.8 for WCs and Urinals does not give
loading units for sink tap DN20 or pressure
flushing valve

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Table 4.8 Design flow rates and loading units
Outlet fitting4 Design flow rate Minimum Loading units
l/s flow rate l/s
WC flushing cistern single or dual flush – 0.13 0.05 2
to fill in 2 minutes

WC trough cistern 0.15 per WC 0.10 2

Wash basin tap size 1–2 – DN 15 0.15 per tap 0.10 1.5 to 3
Spray tap or spray mixer 0.05 per tap 0.03 –
Bidet 0.20 per tap 0.10 1
Bath tap, nominal size 3–4 – DN 20 0.30 0.20 10
Bath tap, nominal size 1 – DN 25 0.60 0.40 22
Shower head (will vary with type of head) 0.20 hot or cold 0.10 3
Sink tap, nominal size 1–2 – DN 15 0.20 0.10 3
Sink tap, nominal size 3–4 – DN 20 0.30 0.20 5
Sink tap, nominal size 1 – DN 20 0.60 0.40 –
Washing machine size – DN 15 0.20 hot or cold 0.15
Dishwasher size – DN 15 0.15 0.10 3
Urinal flushing cistern 0.004 per position 0.002 –
served
Pressure flushing valve for WC or urinal 1.5 1.2 –

Source: BS 6700 12
Notes:
(1) Flushing troughs are advisable where likely use
of WCs is more than once per minute.
(2) Mixer fittings use less water than separate taps,
but this can be disregarded in sizing.
(3) Flow rates to shower mixers vary according to
type fitted. Manufacturers should be consulted.
(4) Manufacturers should be consulted for flow rates
to washing machines and dishwashers for other
than a single dwelling.
(5) For cistern fed urinals demand is very low and
can usually be ignored. Alternatively, use the
continuous flow.

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 3. Sizing procedure for supply pipes
i) The procedure below is followed by an
explanation of each step with appropriate
examples.
(1) Assume a pipe diameter.
(2) Determine the flow rate: (Refer fig. 4.4)
(a) By using loading units;
(b) For continuous flows;
(c) Obtain the design flow rate by adding (a) and (b).
(3) Determine the effective pipe length:
(Refer fig. 4.5 to 4.7)
(d) Work out the measured pipe length;
(e) Work out the equivalent pipe length for fittings;

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 (f) Work out the equivalent pipe length for draw-offs;
(g) Obtain the effective pipe length by adding (d), (e)
and (f).
(4) Calculate the permissible loss of head:
(h) Determine the available head:
(i) Determine the head loss per meter run through
pipes (Figure 4.10);
(j) Determine the head loss through fittings;
(k) Calculate the permissible head loss.
(5) Determine the pipe diameter:
(l) Decide whether the assumed pipe size will give the
design flow rate in (c) without exceeding the
permissible head loss in (k).

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Fig. 4.4 Conversion chart - loading unit to flow
rate

16
Figure 4-10 Determination of pipe diameter
17
Fig. 4.5 Example of use of loading units

18
Fig. 4.6 Example of measured pipe length

19
Fig. 4.7 Examples of equivalent pipe length (using the example from fig. 4.6)

20
4 Distribution system in multi-storey building
1 Direct supply where municipal pressure is adequate
a) Direct supply to fixtures
b) Direct supply to elevated water tank
2 Pumping system, where pressure is not adequate or
storage is required
a) Direct pumping from a water main to
i. Sanitary fixture after water meter
- Where storage is not required
- Where the municipal water supply system
is not affected and approval is obtained
from water supply authority

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Pumping system…
b) Direct pumping from water
supply line to elevated water
tank
c) Pumping from ground reservoir
to elevated tank
d) Direct pumping from ground
reservoir using Hydro- pneumatic
e) Direct pumping from ground
reservoir using variable speed
drive pumps (VSD)

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23
d) Direct pumping from ground reservoir using Hydro- pneumatic
system

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5 Residual pressure, pressure regulators, etc
1 Residual pressure
a) Min. 5 meters at fixture outlets
b) Some fixture or equipment require more
than 5 meter
2 Excessive water pressure
- To be regulated
3 Pressure relief valves
4 Vacuum relief valves

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Pipe sizing
✓ Prepare layout of pipes & valves for the rooms requiring water supply
installation (from source to each fixtures)

✓ Isolation valve location (ref. Table 3-4, EBCS 9)

Location for valve

At water meter
At each flushing cistern
At each appliance
At each pumping apparatus
At each storage tank
At each branch serving each floor in
buildings
Note: criteria for water meter
placement
ref: Page 41 EBCS 9)
Read: - on max. length for pipes for hot water
from heater (Table 3.5)
- Rec. hot water storage (Table 3.6)
Pipe sizing
Pipe sizing
Pipe sizing
Pipe sizing

3
5

2
4
For pipe 1-2
12 wash basins x 0.5 =6
10 WCs x 0.5 =5
1
2 urinals x 0.5 =1 Q = 0.25 14 = 0.935 𝑙/𝑠𝑒𝑐
2 sinks x1 =2
Total loading units = 14
 wb bath wc

sink w/m cloaks wc

First floor

Ground floor

main at 3 bar minimum pressure

Pipe sizing
✓Determine the effective pipe length

Effective length = Measure pipe length + equivalent pipe length

Table B1, EBCS 9

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Pipe sizing
Pipe sizing
✓ Calculate the available head at the point of concern
Pipe sizing
✓ Select velocity; Maximum water velocities in pipe work are given in
table 3.8 (EBCS 9) for different water temperature
Water temperature Maximum water velocity
(oC) (m/s)
10 3.0
50 3.0
70 2.5
90 2.0
✓ Assume a pipe diameter based on selected velocity
✓ Determine percentage head loss for
the selected velocity from nomograph
and multiply by the effective length
or

✓ Calculate the head loss in the pipe

for the determined effective length
of pipe, discharge and diameter
using HW or DW

✓ Then calculate the residual head

and if it is less than the head
required for a particular fitting,
repeat steps by assuming another
set of velocity & diameter
• A typical shower will require a minimum of 1m head
• A basin tap needs 0.5m and
• A bath tap 0.8m to give a satisfactory discharge.
 Pipe sizing tabulation chart Initial mains head available = __ m

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Design Assum Vertical Residual Final tube

Pipe Loading Head Pipe length (m) Total Available Residual
flow Velocity e tube drop(+) head diameter
reference units loss head head head
rate (m/s) diamet or required (mm)
(m/m) Actual Effective loss (11-9)
(l/s) er rise(-) at fitting
(mm)
1-2

2-3

3-4

4-5

5-6

6-7

7-8

5-9