COLD WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

Introduction

Building water supply system is a system in

plumbing which provides and distributes water to
the different parts of the building or structure, for
purposes such as drinking, cleaning, washing,
culinary use, etc.; it includes the water
distributing pipes, control devices, equipment,
and other appurtenances.
Introduction
Cold water system provides water for the
following purposes;

1. Drinking purpose.

2. Cooking purpose.

3. Sanitary purpose.

4. Washing purpose.

5. Gardening
Definitions
1. Cistern – a container for water having a free
water surface at atmospheric pressure

2. Feed cistern – any storage cistern used for

supplying cold water to a hot water apparatus

3. Storage cistern – any cistern other than a

flushing cistern, having a free water surface
under atmospheric pressure, but not including a
drinking trough or drinking bowl for animals.
Definitions cont……..
3. Capacity of a cistern - the capacity up to the
water line

4. Water line – a line marked inside the cistern

to indicate the water level at which the ball
valve should be adjusted to shut off.

5. Overflowing level – the lowest level at which

water can flow into that pipe from a cistern.
Definitions cont……
6. Warning pipe – an overflow pipe so fixed that its
outlet end is in an exposed and conspicuous
position and where the discharge of any water
from the pipe may be readily seen and, where
practicable, outside the building.

7. Communication pipe – any service pipe from the

water main to the stop valve fitted on the pipe.

8. Service pipe – any pipe for supplying water from

a main to any premises as is subject to water
pressure from that main, or would be so subject
but for the closing of some stop valve.
Definitions cont….
9 Distributing pipe – any pipe for conveying water
from a cistern, and under pressure from that
cistern.

10 Supply pipe – so much of any service pipe which

is not a communicating pipe.

11 Main – a pipe for general conveyance of water

as distinct from the conveyance to individual
premises.
 Definitions cont………..
12 Hot water cylinder or tank – a closed container
for hot water under more than atmospheric
pressure. Note: a cylinder is deemed to include
a tank.

13 Potable – water suitable for drinking.

14 Fitting – anything fitted or fixed in connection

with the supply, measurement, control,
distribution, utilization or disposal of water.
Fig1.1 Connection to water main

Installed and maintained by Installed and maintained by

water authority building owner

Communication pipe Stop valve 760mm

chamber (minimum)

service pipe

Water authorities
water main
stop valve
Distribution systems
There are two types of water supply systems;

1. non storage or direct and

2. storage or indirect systems
 Non storage or Direct Systems
• It is a system whereby all the sanitary fittings
are supplied with cold water direct from the
main. In this system, a cold water feed cistern
is usually required to feed the hot water
supply system
Fig 1.2 Direct cold water supply system
Storage or Indirect Systems
• It is a system whereby all the drinking water
used in the building is supplied from the main
and water used for all other purposes is
supplied indirectly from a cold water storage
cistern.

• The cistern also supplies water to the hot

water cylinder therefore its capacity will
almost double the capacity required for the
direct system
Fig 1.3 Indirect cold water supply system
Table 1.1 Advantages of Direct and Indirect cold water systems
S/No Direct or non storage
1 Less pipework and smaller
or no cistern, making it
easier and cheaper to
install.
2 Drinking water is available
at all draw-off points.
3 Smaller cisterns which may
be sited below the ceiling.
4 In systems without cistern
there is no risk of polluting
the water from this source
S/No Indirect or storage
1 Large capacity cistern provides a
reserve of water during
interruption of supply.
2 Water pressure on the taps
supplied from the cistern is
reduced, which minimizes wear
on taps and noise.
3 Fittings supplied with water from
the cistern are prevented from
causing pollution of the drinking
water by back siphon age
4 Lower demand on the water main
 Prevention of Back Siphonage
• Back siphonage is the back flow of water,
which may be contaminated, into the drinking
water supply.

• The condition for back siphonage to happen is

the creation of negative pressure or partial
vacuum in the pipe connected to an appliance
having its outlet submersed in water, which
may be contaminated.
 Prevention of Back Siphonage cont…
• Back pressure is the result of water pressure in
the system being greater than that in the supply.
Higher system pressures can be caused by the
expansion of water in unvented domestic hot
water supplies, or in systems where a pump is
used.

• Negative pressures in the supply main may be

caused by a major leak in the main or the fire
services drawing off vast amounts of water.
The points which must be observed for
prevention of risk of back siphonage
1. The ball valves in the cisterns must be above
the overflow pipe and if the silencer pipe is
fitted must discharge water above the ball
valve through a spray.

2. The outlets of taps connected to sanitary

appliances must be well above the flooding
level of the appliance.
The points which must be observed for
prevention of risk of back siphonage cont…..
3. Flushing valves for WCs must be supplied
from a cold water storage cistern.

4. Appliances having low-level water inlets, for

example bidets and certain types of hospital
appliance, must be supplied from a cold
water storage cistern and never direct from
the main
Water Storage
Purposes of water storage
Provide for an interruption of supply
Accommodate peak demand
Provide a pressure (head) for gravity supplies

Design factors
Type and number of fittings
Frequency and pattern of use
Likelihood and frequency of breakdown of
supply (often design for 12- or 24-hour reserve
capacity)
According to regulations, the installed
cistern must be;
1. Watertight, adequate strength, and
manufactured from plastic, galvanized steel,
asbestos cement or copper.

2. Sited at a height that will provide sufficient head

and discharge of water to the fittings supplied.

3. placed in a position where it can be readily

inspected and cleansed
According to regulations, the installed
cistern must be;
4. Provided with dust proof but not air tight
cover and protected from damage by frost.

5. Fitted with an efficient overflow pipe which

should have a fall as great as practicable not
less than 1 in 10.
Fig 1.4 Method of installing cold water storage or feed cistern

Inlet silencer
Vent pipe from
hot-water cylinder
40mm
40mm
25mm
50mm

Warning or
overflow pipe
Stop valve

Full-way
gate valve

50mm

Ceiling joists

Rising main
Timber bearers Distributing pipe
to sanitary
appliances
 Rising main

O
w ver
ar fl
ni ow
ng
a
pi nd
pe
D
r
pi ai
pe n
B
Is va all
lv
va ola
lv tin e
es g
W
le at
ve er
l

M
an
ifo
ld
Cold-water
Feed pipes
Fig 1.6 Method of duplicating cold water storage cisterns
Table 1.2 Provision of cold water storage to cover 24
Hours interruption of supply
Type of building Storage (L)
Dwelling houses and flats per resident 90

Hostels per resident 90

Hotels per resident 140

Offices without canteens per head 40

Offices with canteens per head 45

Restaurants per head/per 10

meal
Day schools per head 30

Boarding schools per head 90

Nurses homes and medical quarters per resident 115

Table 1.3 Recommended minimum storage of cold and hot water systems
Minimum cold water Minimum hot water
Type of building storage (litres) storage (litres)
Hostel 90 per bed space 32 per bed space
Hotel 200 per bed space 45 per bed space
Office premises:
- with canteen facilities 45 per employee 4.5 per employee
- without canteen facilities 40 per employee 4.0 per employee
Restaurant 7 per meal 3.5 per meal
Day school:
- nursery or primary 15 per pupil 4.5 per pupil
- secondary or technical 20 per pupil 5.0 per pupil
Boarding school 90 per pupil 23 per pupil
Children’s home or
residential nursery 135 per bed space 25 per bed space
Nurses’ home 120 per bed space 45 per bed space
Nursing or convalescent
home 135 per bed space 45 per bed space
(Source: Garrett, R. H., 2008. Hot and Cold Water Supply)
Note: Minimum cold water storage shown includes that used to supply hot water outlets
Table 1.4 Estimation of cold water storage per occupant

Storage per
Type of building
occupant (litres)
Hospitals, per staff on duty 45
Hostels 90
Hotels 135
Houses and flats 135
Offices with canteens 45
Offices without canteens 35
Restaurant (* per meal) 7
Schools, boarding 90
Schools, day 30
Table 1.5 Provision of cold water storage to cover 24
Hours interruption of supply. Based on sanitary
appliances

Sanitary appliance Storage (L)

Water closet (WC) 180
Sink 135 - 225
Water basin 90 - 250
Shower 135 - 225
Urinal 135 - 250
Table 1.6 Access to storage cistern
Table 1.7 Water storage plant room area
 Design principles
I. Cold water system  Swimming-pool
filtration
A: Potable water  Irrigation(e.g. for
• Drinking purpose. landscape)
• Cooking purpose.  Fountain circulation
 Air-conditioning
B: Non-potable water
water, etc.
 Flushing water(fresh
or salt water) II. Hot water system (e.g.
 Cleansing water in hotels & hospitals
 Fire service
Design principles cont….
Major tasks of water systems design:
1. Assessment & estimation of demands
2. Supply scheme & schematic
3. Water storage requirements
4. Piping layout
5. Pipe sizing
6. Pump system design
Water demand
Water demand depends on:
Type of building & its function
Number of occupants, permanent or transitional
Requirement for fire protection systems
Landscape & water features

Typical appliances using the cold water

WC cistern, wash basin, bath, shower, sink
Washing machine, dishwasher
Urinal flushing cistern
Water demand cont……
Simultaneous demand

Most fittings are used only at irregular intervals

It is unlikely that all the appliances will be used
simultaneously . Therefore there is no need to size
pipe work on continuous maximum

Key factors to consider:

Capacity of appliance (L)

Draw-off flow rate (L/s)
Draw-off period, or time taken to fill appliance (sec)
Frequency of use, time between each use (sec)
Water demand cont……
Loading Unit (L.U) : A factor given to an appliance
relating the flow rate at its terminal fitting to
Length of time in use
Frequency of use for a particular type
Use of building

NOTE
Evaluate the ‘probable maximum’
Relates the flow rate to the probable usage
Consider design & minimum flow rates
Table 1.8 Design flow rates and loading units
Figure 1.7 Conversion chart – loading units to flow rate

Example of use of loading units

12 wash basins × 1.5 = 18
10 WCs × 2 = 20
2 urinal bowls × — =—
2 cleaners’ sinks × 3 =6
Total loading units = 44
How about urinals?
0.004L/s/urinal continuous
Required design flow (from graph)
= 0.7 L/s + 0.008L/s = 0.71 L/s
Design flow considerations
A small increase in demand over design level will
cause a slight reduction in pressure/flow (unlikely
to be noticed by users)

Exceptional cases:
Cleaners’ sinks (depends on one’s behavior)
Urinal flushing cisterns (continuous small flow)
Team changing rooms at sport clubs (high
demand)
Special events (ad hoc demand)
Pipe sizing-Introduction
Correct pipe sizes will ensure adequate flow rates at
appliances and avoid problem caused by over sizing and
under sizing;
Over sizing will mean:
– additional and unnecessary installation costs;
– delays in obtaining hot water at outlets;
– increased heat losses from hot water distributing pipes.
Under sizing may lead to:
– inadequate delivery from outlets and possibly no
delivery at some outlets during simultaneous use;
– some variation in temperature and pressure at outlets,
especially showers and other mixers;
– some increase in noise levels.
Fig 1.8 Pipe sizing-Introduction
Sizing procedure for supply pipes
• The procedure below is followed by an explanation of each
step with appropriate examples.
(1) Assume a pipe diameter.
(2) Determine the flow rate:
(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:
(d) work out the measured pipe length;
(e) work out the equivalent pipe length for fittings;
(f) work out the equivalent pipe length for draw-offs;
(g) obtain the effective pipe length by adding (d), (e) and (f).
Sizing procedure for supply pipes cont…

(4) Calculate the permissible loss of head:

(h) determine the available head:

(i) determine the head loss per metre run through
pipes;
(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

Equivalent pipe length

• Equivalent pipe length Is the expression of friction

resistances to flow through valves and fittings in
terms of pipe lengths having the same resistance to
flow as the valve or fitting.

• For example, a 20 mm elbow offers the same

resistance to flow as a 20 mm pipe 0.8 m long.

• Effective pipe length. The effective pipe length is the

sum of the measured pipe length and the equivalent
pipe lengths for fittings (e) and draw-offs (f).
 Fig 1.9 Equivalent pipe length cont…
(see tables 1.9 & 1.10)
Table 1.9 Equivalent pipe lengths (copper, stainless steel and plastics)

(Source: Garrett, R. H., 2008. Hot and Cold Water Supply)

Equivalent pipe lengths (copper, stainless steel and plastics) cont…

Notes:
1. For tees consider change of direction only. For gate valves
losses are insignificant.

2. For fittings not shown, consult manufacturers if significant

head losses are expected.

3. For galvanized steel pipes in a small installation, pipe sizing

calculations may be based on the data in this table for
equivalent nominal sizes of smooth bore pipes. For larger
installations, data relating specifically to galvanized steel
should be used. BS 6700 refers to suitable data in the
Plumbing Engineering Services Design Guide published by the
Institute of Plumbing.
Table 1.10 Typical head losses and equivalent
pipe lengths for taps

(Source: Garrett, R. H., 2008. Hot and Cold Water Supply)

Fig 1.10 Example of measured and effective pipe length

Measured pipe length = 4.75 m Note: There is no need

Equivalent pipe lengths: to consider both branch
elbows 2 x 0.8 = 1.6 m pipes to taps.
tee 1 x 1.0 = 1.0 m
Stop valve 1 x 7.0 = 7.0 m
taps 2 x 3.7 = 7.4 m
check valves 2 x 4.3 = 8.6 m
Effective pipe length = 30.35 m
Figure 1.11 Example of permissible head loss
Pressure at taps 45m head

This formula is used to determine whether the frictional resistance

in a pipe will permit the required flow rate without too much loss
of head or pressure. Figure 1.10 illustrates the permissible head
loss for the example in figure 1.9.
 Figure 1:12 Head loss through stop valves

Note Gate valves and spherical plug valves offer

little or no resistance to flow provided they are
fully open.
Figure 1.13 Head loss through float-operated valves
Figure 1.14 Determination of pipe diameter

Notes Figures shown are for cold water at 12°C.

Hot water will show slightly more favorable head loss results.
BS 6700 gives head loss in kPa.
1 m head = 9.81 kPa.
Table 1:11 Maximum recommended
flow velocities
Flow velocity
Water Pipes readily
temperature accessible Pipes not readily
(°C ) (m/s) accessible (m/s)
10 3.0 2.0
50 3.0 1.5
70 2.5 1.3
90 2.0 1.0
 Work through the calculation sheet
See figure 1.15, using the data shown in figure 5.10
and Table 1.13.
Bib tap at 0.3 l/s
in frequent use.

1-Elbow; 1-DN20, 0.3l/s Tap

1-Tee
1-Tee 1-Tee
2-check valves
2-check valves 2-Check valves
3-elbows
3-elbows 1-Elbow

Figure 1.15 Pipe sizing diagram

 (1) Pipe
Enter pipe reference on calculation sheet
reference
(2) Loading
Determine loading Units (Table 1.8)
Units
(3) Flow rate
Convert loading units to flow rates (Fig. 1.7)
(L/s)
Make assumption as to pipe size (Inside (4) Pipe size
diameter) (mm diameter)
Work out frictional resistance per metre (5) Loss of head
(Fig. 1.14) (m/m run)
(6) Flow velocity
Determine velocity of flow (Fig 1.14)
(m/s)
(7) Measured
Measure length of pipe under consideration
pipe run (m)
Consider frictional resistances in fittings (8) Equivalent
(Table 1.9 and Figures 1.12 & 1.13) pipe length (m)
(9)Effective pipe
Add totals in columns 7 & 8
length (m)
Head consumed: Multiply column 5 by (10) Head
column 9 consumed (m)
Add head consumed in column 10 to
(11) Progressive
progressive head in previous row of column
head (m)
11
(12) Available
Record available head at point of delivery
head (m)
Compare progressive head with available (13) Final Pipe
Table 1.12 Example of a suitable calculation sheet with explanatory notes

head to confirm pipe diameter or not size (mm)

Notes (14) Remarks
Table 1.13 Calculation sheet
Pipe sizing cont…
Pipe sizing for hot water systems is the same as cold water,
except cold feed pipe must also be considered

Useful formulae for pipes:

1. Thomas Box formula

Where;
d = pipe diameter (mm)
q = flow rate (l/s)
H = head or pressure (m)
L = effective length of pipe (actual length +
allowance for bends, tees, etc.)
Example:
Determine the pipe size using Thomas Box
formula.

Answer:
Using Thomas Box formula,

= 27.83 mm

Hence, the nearest commercial size is 32 mm

bore steel or 35 mm outside diameter copper.
2. Relative discharge of pipes

Example:
(a) Compute the number of 32 mm short branches that can be
served from 150 mm main.
Answer:

(b) Determine the size of water main required to supply 15 nos.

20 mm short branch pipes.

Answer:
Hence, the nearest commercial size is 65 mm.
Fig 1.16 Typical Layout Plan (Two floors)

Ø1 5
Ø1
5

Ø1
5

HO
SE
RE
Ø1

EL
5

-1
W
ET

Ø2
0

Ø1
Ø1

5
ZO

5
NE

Ø1
5

Ø
-A

15