Activity 1

STUDY QUESTIONS

12-1. What is the difference between potable and non-potable water? For what
purposes may each used?
Potable is clean water that is suitable for human drinking. It must be available for
drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
Non-potable water may be used for flushing water closets (toilets), irrigating grass and
gardens, washing cars, and for any use other than drinking, cooking, or cleaning.

12-2. What sources of water supply may be available to a city?

The sources of water supply that may be available to a city is the surface water which
can be collected in a storage tank called cistern collected from rainwater and some
supply came from pumped water.

12-3. Why should any source of water be tested before the water is used?
The source of water should be tested to ensure that it is potable for the securement of
public health. One particular concern in this test is the presence of any coliform
organisms, which indicate that the water supply may be contaminated with human or
animal wastes to indicate if the water is potable or not to know its particular use.

12-4. What is the basic difference between a community and a private water
supply system, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Community water supply system are public entities that install and provide a
central supply of water to a neighborhood, city or special district. They are
government owned. Quiet often water is drawn from more than one source
while private water supply system are private entities which supplies of water
are draw into one source such us systems that often include treatment plants,
water storage towers, and sometimes reservoirs to store the water.

ADVANTAGES of community water supply system

 Improved water quality that’s not exposed to contaminants en-route through
surface runoff.
 Better quality water for bathing and washing than many dams.
 Access to stored water for fire-fighting.
DISADVANTAGES
 Waste –water disposal cost cannot be ignored
 There are large number of dead ends where water does not circulate but
remains static.
 Sediments accumulate due to stagnation of the dead end and bacterial growth
may occur at these points.
ADVANTAGES of private water supply system
 Private firms can quickly become inefficient and wasteful when sheltered from
competitive market forces.
 Can improve infrastructure, lower costs and provide residents with clean, safe
water they expect.
DISADVANTAGES
 Higher water rates, and difficulty in ensuring that the new managers respect
obligation to develop the water supply in poorer areas, where consumption is
lower.

12-5. When a project (building) being designed is going to connect to a

community water supply system, what information about the system must be
obtained?
The information about the system that must be obtained are the following:
What is the exact location of the water main (pipe) in relation to the construction
site?
If the main is on the other side of the street from the construction site, what
procedures must be followed to get permission (in writing) to cut through the
street, set up barricades, and patch the street? If available, obtain the
specifications (written requirements) concerning the cut-ting and patching of
the street.
What permits are required from local authorities, how much do the permits cost,
and who will inspect the work and when?
If the water main does not run to the construction site, can it be extended from its
present location to the property? Who pays for the extension? How long will it
take?
Is there a charge to connect (tap) onto the community system? Many communities
charge a fee just to tap, and the charge is often high (e.g., thousands or tens of
thou-sands of dollars).
What is the water pressure in the main? Plumbing fixtures are manufactured to
operate efficiently with water pressures from about 30 to 60 psi (200 to 400
kPa). Pres-sure outside this range may result in poor operation.
a. A storage tank and pump may be required to raise the pressure if the
pressure is too low (below 30 psi or about 200 kPa for a residence). Such a
system is often used on commercial and industrial projects where the
pressure requirements may have to be quite high to meet the water
demands
b. Water pressure that is too high (above 80 psi or about 551 kPa for a
residence) will probably require a pressure-reducing valve in the system to
decrease the pressure to an acceptable level.
 What is the cost of the water?

12-6. How are wells classified, and what methods of construction may be used
for each type?
Dug wells- They are typically made by excavation with a backhoe or excavator but can
be hand shoveled.
Driven wells- are constructed by driving pipe into the ground.
Drilled/Bored Wells- are constructed by percussion or rotary-drilling machines
12-7. Show with a sketch how a well may be protected from surface water
contaminants.

12-8. How are wells protected from possible contamination from sewage disposal
fields?
They used drilling method which is effective in cutting through hard rock to be
able to reach the water table. The well shaft, or borehole, is lined with a solid pipe that
seals out contaminants and stabilizes the hole. Thermoplastic (e.g., styrene rubber
[SR]) and fiberglass pipe have been used for casing rotary-drilled and straight
percussion drilled wells. The casing prevents collapse of the well hole and the entrance
of contaminants. It also allows placement of a pump or pumping equipment.
12-9. What two types of well pumps are used, and what are the limitations of
each?
1. Well Jet Pumps- Jet pumps are self-priming, but priming (manually filling with
water) prior to initial use is required for the pump to operate. Shallow well jet pumps
are used for wells with a pumping level up to 25 ft. (7.6 m) deep, which is the pump’s
suction lift limit.
2. Submersible Well Pumps- Submersible well pumps are centrifugal pumps designed
to operate submersed in water near the bottom end of the well shaft. It is typically
used in wells with a pumping level of at least 75 ft. (23 m) deep. The pump is sub-
merged into the well water, usually to about 20 ft. (6 m) from the bottom of the well. It
may be set hundreds of feet beneath the water in a well. This system usually alleviates
pump-freezing concerns by placing the pump deep inside the well. Deep well jet pumps
can be used for wells with a pumping level up to 120 ft. (37 m) deep. It works the same
as the shallow well type but with the jet assembly located in the well 10 to 20 ft. (3 to
9 m) below water table level
12-10. What materials are most commonly used for the pipes and tubing in a
building water supply system?
Thermoplastic pipe- sometimes referred to simply as plastic pipe, is used for water
supply systems because its economy and ease of installation make it popular,
especially on projects such as low-cost housing or apartments where cost economy is
important. The materials used for this are the following:
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) - use in DWV applications, sewer, and drain
pipe; tubular parts
Polybutylene (PB) - use in potable hot and cold water supply tubes, indoors and
buried; riser tubes
CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) -hot and cold water supply tubes, indoors and
buried
PE (polyethylene)-cold water only, outdoor piping, buried
PEX (cross-linked polyethylene)-hot and water supply tubes, indoors; riser tubes
PP (polypropylene)-tubular drainage products for fixtures

12-11. What materials are most commonly used for the pipes and tubing in a
building sanitary sewage system?
Clay and Concrete Pipe
Clay pipe is made from vitrified clay. Concrete pipe is cast from concrete. These pipes
are traditionally used for sewage, industrial waste, storm water, and drain field
applications. Concrete pipe is also used as large water supply pipe.

12-12. Identify and describe the function of five common types of plumbing
fixtures.
1. Water closets
- A water closet is a plumbing fixture that serves as an indoor receptacle and
removal system for human waste.
2. Urinals
- Urinals are plumbing fixtures that are commonly used in public restrooms
where it is desirable to reduce possible contamination of the water closet seats.
3. Bidets
- Bidets are personal hygiene plumbing fixtures used for genital and perineal
cleanliness. It is typically used after using the water closet. Equipped with valves for
hot and cold water, the inside walls of the bowl are washed the same way as a
standard toilet.
4. Bathtubs
- Bathtubs are plumbing fixtures used for bathing.
5. Showers
- A showerhead is an overhead nozzle that sprays water down on the bather.

12-13. What is a waterless urinal? Why is its use advantageous in place of a

conventional urinal?
A waterless urinal is a urinal that is specifically engineered to eliminate potable
water consumption for urinal flushing. It looks very much like a conventional
urinal except the flush valve and piping that is normally positioned above the
fixture is omitted. The chief benefit of waterless urinals is that they do not use
water. In office buildings and schools, waterless urinals can save up to 25 000
gal (100 000 L) of potable water per year per fixture, saving water and sewer
costs and reducing the burden on the municipal sewage and sewage treatment
system.

12-14. How and where are the following valves used in the plumbing system?
a. Globe- The globe valve is a manual, compression-type valve, commonly used
where there is occasional or periodic use, such as lavatories (faucets) and hose
connections (called hose bibbs). This type of valve regulates the flow of water.
Design of the globe valve is such that the water passing through is forced to
make two 90° turns, which greatly increases the friction loss in this valve
b. Gate - The gate valve is a manual valve that has a wedge-shaped leaf that, when
closed, seals tightly against two metal seats that are set at slight angles. (See
Figure 12.8.) This type of valve is usually used where the flow of the water is left
either completely opened or closed for most of the time. It is used to shut off the
flow of water such as to fixtures and equipment when repairs or replacement
must be made.
c. Angle - The angle valve is a manual valve similar in operation to the globe valve,
utilizing the same principle of compressing a washer against a metal seat to cut
the flow of water. It is commonly used for outside hose bibbs. The angle valve
has a much higher friction loss than the gate valve and about half the friction
loss of the globe valve.
d. Check- The check valve opens to allow the flow of water in the direction desired
and prevents flow in the other direction. This valve is used in such places as the
water feed line to a boiler (heating unit) where the water from the boiler might
pollute the system if it backed up.
e. Thermostatic- A thermostatic valve, frequently called a tempering valve or
mixing valve, is an automatic valve thermostatically blends hot and cold water to
desired temperatures and to prevent scalding.

f. Matered- Metered valves are designed to automatically discharge for a specific

length of time and thus deliver a fixed quantity of water before closing off flow.
They operate by pushing down or against the valve handle. They are used on
lavatories in public restrooms such as in transportation terminals, restaurants,
and convention halls to ensure that water is shut off after a short period of time.
12-15. Describe the differences between the three types of code-compliance
inspections.
In Underground Inspection the inspector reviews the sewer and water services
coming from the city mains to the property. The inspector verifies that
acceptable materials were used in the construction of the water and sewer
services while in Rough-In Inspection, this is an inspection of the interior
drainage, waste vent, and water supply piping. This inspection must be made
while all piping is exposed before walls and ceilings are built and the Final
Inspection, this is the inspection of the final set-ting of fixtures (bathtub, water
closet, lavatory, kitchen sink, and so on.). The inspector looks for proper fixture
setting and alignment, proper caulking around fixtures, acceptable shower
valves, and so forth