PLUMBING / WATER SYSTEMS REVIEW

WATER

Water is a renewable resource that is provided naturally through the earth’s water cycle, in the
form of precipitation. While water is provided by nature, many of us rely on a complex network
of pipes, pumps, equipment, and people provided by our community’s municipal water systems
to safely deliver clean water to our taps, and remove used water from our homes and
businesses.

WATER SYSTEM

A system of supplying water, as throughout a metropolitan area. The purpose of water system is to
deliver water to consumer with appropriate quality, quantity and pressure. The water system is used to
describe collectively the facilities used to supply water from its source to the point of usage.

Water Supply Plumbing Systems

Water supply system, infrastructure for the collection, transmission, treatment, storage, and distribution
of water for homes, commercial establishments, industry, and irrigation, as well as for such public needs
as firefighting and street flushing. Of all municipal services, provision of potable water is perhaps the
most vital. People depend on water for drinking, cooking, washing, carrying away wastes, and other
domestic needs. Water supply systems must also meet requirements for public, commercial, and
industrial activities. In all cases, the water must fulfill both quality and quantity requirements.

Water travels under pressure through a system of pipes to your home. The water company uses a water
meter to measure how much water you use (unless your water use isn’t tracked). This meter is often
buried in a housing with a removable lid, located in front of the house, near the street.

There are 5 key stages in our municipal water system:

 Source water – underground aquifers that are the

source of our water supply, fed by rain and melting
snow.
 Water distribution systems – the pipes and pumps
that deliver clean water to our taps. In Madera there
are more than 187 miles of underground water
pipes.
 Wastewater collection systems – the pipes and
pumps that take away used water from our toilets,
drains, bathtubs, and laundry. These are also called
sewers. In Madera, there are over 176 miles of
municipal wastewater collection pipes underground.
 Wastewater treatment – the processes to remove contaminants from our used water so
that it can be safely returned to the environment. This is also called sewage treatment.
 Storm water systems – the pipes, ditches and natural systems that channel our rain
water and snow melt away from our homes and businesses and back to the natural
environment. In Madera there are over 45 miles of storm water pipes underground.
 WATER SYSTEMS
Where does our water come from?

100% of the water that feeds into our municipal water system comes from underground aquifers
– these are called ground water sources.

How does water get from the source to our taps?

Water is withdrawn from the water source and pumped to our homes and businesses. Water is
then distributed to homes and businesses in large pipes called water mains that are usually
buried under our roads and sidewalks. Water pumping facilities and water mains are maintained
by the City, and paid for by water rates.

Water lines are smaller pipes that transport the water from water mains to individual homes,
apartments and businesses. Water lines are the responsibility of the property owner.

How do we know our water is safe to drink?

Water in municipal systems is required to meet strict water quality standards established by the
state, and is tested regularly to ensure that it is safe to drink.

SEWER SYSTEMS
Where does our water go?
Most residents depend on municipal sewer systems to take used water away from their homes
and businesses. Used water from sewer pipes is pumped to wastewater treatment facilities,
where it is treated before it is released into the environment. The treatment method that is used
is affected by the types of contaminants in the sewage, the receiving environment for the treated
wastewater, and the effluent requirements established in local and federal regulations.

Common steps in municipal sewage treatment:

 Preliminary treatment
o This stage of treatment removes grit, like sand and
gravel, egg shells, coffee grounds etc. from raw sewage.
 Primary treatment
o This stage of treatment starts with temporary holding of
sewage to allow the solids to sink to the bottom, and oil
and grease to float to the top. The settled and floating
material is removed, and the remaining liquid is moved
to the next stage of treatment.
 Secondary treatment
o This stage of treatment removes dissolved and
suspended biological matter and the remaining liquid is
moved to the next stage of treatment. 100% of municipal
sewage in Madera receives preliminary, primary and
secondary treatment before it is safely returned to the
environment.
 STORMWATER SYSTEMS

Storm water is the result of rain or melting snow. Some of this water is absorbed by the earth
and percolates down into underground aquifers, and some finds its way through ditches to
streams and rivers that flow into lakes and oceans.

In urban areas, where the ground is covered by sealed surfaces such as roads, parking lots, or
buildings, storm water systems prevent flooding of our homes and businesses by collecting the
water in storm drains and piping it to lakes, rivers and the ocean.

Storm water is not treated before it is discharged to the environment. This means that
contaminants and debris can wash into the system, and impact humans, fish and other wildlife
that use the lakes, rivers and ocean areas where storm water flows.

https://www.madera.gov/water-systems-work/

https://www.britannica.com/technology/water-supply-system