Gravity Flow Water System

The taps and valves closed state should be the maximum.

Gravity flow water system. One of the most basic ways to build a running water system is the gravity fed system. Pipeline design 5 summary of suggested design guidelines 19 l 1 3 6 11 2 5 10 18 appendices a. Before the system can be designed the area must be surveyed. Condensed from a handbook of gravity flow water systems thomas d.

This book s for you. 3 how it s organized. It consists of a cistern or holding tank at a higher elevation than the point of use. General system design and design parameters i t.

A main pipeline including a pipe bridge. The water source 3. The following are a list of design parameters that are important in the design of gravity flow water systems. It can be downloaded as a pdf.

General explanation of flow. The system cost 130 per family and took 30 people 18 days to build. An intake that is screened from debris and submerged sufficiently to ensure no air enters the pipeline a properly sized pipe diameter considering the pipeline length the elevation difference the energy available to move water and the water flow required. This section contains photographs that detail the construction of a gravity flow water system for 32 families.

Gravity fed water systems require the following. The exercises follow a logical order for designing a distribution system and increase in difficulty. Maximum pressure limits. If this is your first gravity flow water system and you want to begin designing or check if a design will work keep on reading.

This allows gravity to do all the work of moving the water through the system eliminating the need for a water pump whether mechanical or electric.