UNDERSTAND PLUMBING

SYSTEMS
A plumbing system serves two purposes: to supply water for human use, and
to get rid of human wastes. It consists of a store of water that is delivered to
various outlets via a distribution system.

All Indian plumbing systems have an underground tank. This collects water
from the municipal supply line, which is normally delivered at low pressure,
and therefore cannot push water to the height of an overhead tank. The most
basic decision in a plumbing system is whether to provide an overhead tank
or not. Traditionally, the underground tank is connected to an overhead tank
via a pump and a supply line; the water flows from there to any tap or outlet
by gravity. The height of the water column above the outlet, known as head,
supplies the required pressure in the outlet. The overhead tank can be
eliminated, however, by the use of a pump that pumps the water directly from
the underground tank to all outlets. Such a pump should be able to
continuously supply the line with pressure, so that whenever one opens a tap,
water gushes out.

Such pumps are available these days; they are called hydro-pneumatic
systems. They consist of a smallish steel tank, divided into two compartments
by a rubber membrane. One contains water, the other air. A pump
periodically switches on and pumps water into the wet side; this causes the
membrane to expand, and compresses the trapped air on the other side. The
water on the wet side is thus under pressure; it is connected to the water
supply line, which in turn gets pressurized. Whenever someone opens a tap,
water flows out, and the pressure in the hydro-pneumatic tank drops, which
causes the pump to be switched on again, thereby maintaining pressure in the
line while supplying the required quantity of water to the outlets.

Such systems have several advantages. One, they eliminate the need for
heavy water tanks on the tops of buildings. Two, one can design them to
supply water at any pressure one desires, unlike a traditional system, where
the pressure is determined only by the height difference (or head) between
the tank and the outlet, and where people on the top floors get low pressure
and people on the ground very high pressure. Three, in theory, they consume
less energy than a traditional system, because if one has an overhead tank,
even the water that goes to the person on the ground or first floor has to first
be pumped up say ten stories high before coming back down. However a
hydro-pneumatic system has a disadvantage: no power, no water.

Therefore, if the power supply is good and backup power is available, use a
hydro-pneumatic system, else provide overhead tanks.

Pumps may be of submersible or open type. Submersible pumps are placed

inside the water tank (at the bottom) and require little maintenance. Either
type of pump may be used in traditional or hydro-pneumatic systems.
There are a range of choices for the distribution network of pipes; GI, CPVC
(chlorinated PVC), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), and copper. These
days plastic (CPVC, HDPE) pipes are preferred to others because they do not
rust, are light and easy to install, and inexpensive.

In a very tall building, floors should be divided into zones of perhaps 15-20
floors. Each of these will have its own pumping system. This serves to
eliminate the very high pressures that result from high water heads, and also
reduces pipe and pump sizes. Remember that centralized hot water boilers
are placed at the bottom as hot water rises by itself.

The other aspect of plumbing is drainage, which is of two types. Waste water
is from showers, basins, kitchen sinks, washing machines, and the like. This
is also called grey water. Soil water or sewage is from WCs and urinals. This
is also called black water. Normally a minimum of 100mm dia pipes are used
for soil water and 75mm for waste water. When run horizontally, soil water
pipes should be run at a steeper slope, such as 1:40, as they have solids.
These can be of cast iron, or, of late, of PVC.

A grease trap should be used when draining waste from large kitchens or
massage parlours; grease should not be allowed to enter the normal drainage
system. A grease trap is nothing but a small inspection chamber. The
grease floats, and should be removed manually on a daily basis. The inlets
and outlets into this chamber should be designed in a way that minimises
disturbance of the floating grease layer.

Stone ware (ceramic) pipes are used when soil and waste water is to be
transported in external soil. An inspection chamber is used to clean
blockages in the line and change direction. A manhole is a larger version of
an inspection chamber, used in the main drainage line or in the street.

If municipal drainage is not available on a small project, provide aseptic

tank and a soak pit. A septic tank is a rectangular underground tank with
compartments. It is always full of sewage. Solids are allowed to sink to the
bottom, where they break down by the process of anaerobic decomposition,
and eventually form a sludge that should be removed manually after several
years. The less water put into a septic tank, the better it will function. This
process is termed primary treatment. The effluent that flows out of this, which
is about 70% purified, is then put into a soak pit. A soak pit is a cylindrical
tank with porous brick walls surrounded by a layer of gravel. The effluent will
therefore enter this and soak into the soil via the holes in the walls and the
gravel, which acts both as a filter and as a device for bacterial decomposition.
A soak pit should not be placed near any occupied structure, water body, or
water supply pipe. It also cannot be used where the water table is high, as
groundwater will then enter and flood the pit through the porous walls.

A sewage treatment plant is recommended for the disposal of large amounts

of sewage. This is a plant that will process sewage and produce sludge and
(relatively) clean water from it. This water may then be used for landscaping,
or even perhaps for HVAC cooling towers – not for drinking or washing. If
one has to dispose of quantities of water containing chemical contaminants,
an effluent treatment plant is the answer.

When you design a plumbing system, remember the following:

 Underground tanks: as mentioned earlier, water must flow from the

municipal supply first to the firefighting tanks and then to the domestic
water tanks to prevent stagnation. The firefighting tanks should remain
full at all times. If one does not have overhead tanks, the domestic
water stored underground should be segregated into two tanks, so that
when it is cleaned (every 6 months) the water in the other tank can be
used. However the two compartments should be connected by a valve
at the bottom. This valve should be closed when one tank is cleaned.
 Underground tanks should be designed for two days’ storage if
possible.
 On-ground tanks may be used instead of underground if the soil is
good. This reduces construction costs as well as the pumping head.
 There are essentially two different types of pumps one may
use:submersible pumps, which are designed to be placed inside the
water in the tank, and conventional centrifugal pumps, which should be
placed in the pump room.
 If using conventional pumps, the outlet from each tank to the pumps
should be placed in a sump; if no sump is provided and the outlet is
placed say 150mm above the tank bottom, then a 150mm high pool of
water will remain in the tank. Whenever the tanks are to be cleaned, a
de-watering pump will have to be brought in to remove this water.
 If using submersible pumps, provide a deep sump (at least 600mm), as
these pumps are normally installed vertically, and the water inlet is in
the middle of the pump and not at the bottom. The pump should be
supported only by the delivery pipe, which is bolted to a flange
attached to a sleeve in the roof of the tank. If the pump is to be
removed for maintenance, this arrangement allows the bolts to be
undone, allowing one to easily lift the pump out of the tank without
draining the water. For this purpose a manhole must be placed next to
the delivery pipe. Such pumps must not be mounted on the floor of the
tank because the fixing bolts will puncture the waterproofing layer of
the tank.
  Overhead tanks: some municipalities, such as the BMC, require that
flushing water be segregated from the other water in overhead tanks.
There is no technical reason for this.
 These days automatic sensors that start and stop the pumps when the
overhead tanks are full or empty are cheap and reliable.
 All pump rooms should without fail have an arrangement for floor
drainage; pumps always leak. The best way to do this is to slope the
floor towards a sump, and install a de-watering pump if the water
cannot flow out by gravity.
 When you attach any water pipes to the side of a building, make sure
to keep a gap of at least 50mm between the pipe and the face of the
building, so that any leakages do not affect or seep into the plaster.
Also use non-corroding screws (and clamps) like brass or SS to attach
the pipes to the building.

It is possible to have a common tank for firefighting and domestic water. In

this case the outlets for the domestic water must be placed at a sufficiently
high level as to leave the correct volume of water for firefighting. Pump rooms
for firefighting and plumbing may be combined in any case.