Week 3 – Water Quantity

• The assessment of water quantity required for an area (city,

town, home) is one of the most fundamental works in a
water supply scheme.

• Therefore, investigating and calculating the adequate

amount of water needed for a given population is an
important job of a water supply engineer.

• A water engineer is tasked with the responsibility of

determining how much water a given population may
require.

• To do this, one must understand:

1) the number of people to be served (population)
2) their rate of consumption (per capita demand).
 Population

Population refers to the total number of individuals

living in a specific geographic area or region. It
encompasses people of all ages, genders, and
backgrounds within a given community or society.

Understanding population dynamics is crucial for

various sectors, including urban planning, healthcare,
education, and resource allocation.

Water supply schemes take into consideration the

present and future population. Hence, water supply
systems are usually designed for three decades (30
years).
Population Forecasting

Population forecasting is the process

of making predictions about the size
and composition of a population in
the future.

It is used by governments,
businesses, and other organizations
to plan for future needs, such as
housing, education, healthcare and
water supply.
 Population Forecast Methods
• There are three (3) main methods of population forecasting:

• Arithmetical increase method: This method assumes that

the population will grow at a constant rate. This is a simple
method, but it is not very accurate, as population growth
rates tend to fluctuate over time.

• Geometrical increase method: This method assumes that

the population will grow at a constant percentage rate. This
is a more accurate method than the arithmetical increase
method, but it is still not very accurate for long-term
forecasts.

• Logistic curve method: This method assumes that the

population will grow at a rapid rate at first, but then the
growth rate will slow down as the population approaches a
carrying capacity. This is the most accurate method of
population forecasting, but it is also the most complex.
 Factors Affecting Population
Population forecasts are always subject to
uncertainty and there are many factors that can
affect population growth. The following are some of
the factors:

1) Birth rates: The number of babies born each year.

2) Death rates: The number of people who die each
year.
3) Migration rates: The number of people who move
into or out of a country each year.
 Factors Affecting Population cont’d
4) Economic conditions: The level of economic
growth and employment.
5) Healthcare: The availability and quality of
healthcare.
6) Education: The level of education attainment.
7) Social factors: The cultural norms and values of a
society.
8) Environmental factors: The availability of natural
resources and the impact of climate change.
 Population Forecasting
Population forecasting is based on existing data from last census.

Water Consumption Rate
• It is difficult to precisely assess the quantity of water
demanded by the public since there are many
variable factors affecting water consumption.
However, the various types of water demands, that a
city may have, may be broken into the following
classes:

Normal Range
Types of Consumption (lit/capita/day) Average %
1 Domestic Consumption 65 - 300 160 35
Industrial and Commercial
2 Demand 45 - 450 135 30
Public Uses( including Fire
3 Demand) 20 - 90 45 10
4 Losses and Waste 45 - 150 62 25
 Types of Water Consumption
1) Domestic consumption – toilet flushing, bathing, showering,
laundry, cooking, drinking, etc
2) Industrial and Commercial Demand – beer factory, hotels,
offices, tourism
3) Public Uses – parks, fountains, street cleaning and other uses
(eg: spraying water in the crowd at SKD sports complex)
4) Losses and Waste – leakages, meter misreading, theft, etc
 Per Capita Demand

• Per capita demand is the amount of

water demanded by one person.

• It is usually measured in liters hence

the expression:

Liter Per Capita per day (l/c/d or lpcd)

 Demand Fluctuation
• The average rate of daily water demand per
capita is not constant.

• It always varies due to factors like climatic

conditions, habit of people, types of
industries, etc.

• Demand varies from season to season,

month to month, days to days and even
hours to hours.
Demand Fluctuation
• For instance, certain hours have higher demand than
others while certain days have higher demands as well.
• For example, more water is usually used b/w 6am to
7am when people are starting their days than at 1am to
2am when most people are at asleep.
• Additionally, more water may be required on Saturday
than on Wednesday or more water may be required
during the months of the dry season than during the
months of rainy season.
• Therefore, if the If the average demand is supplied at
all the times, it will not be sufficient to meet the
fluctuations.
Demand Fluctuation
The following must be taken into account:

1. Seasonal variation: The demand peaks during dry season.

Fire breakouts are generally more increasing demand. So,
there is seasonal variation.

2. Daily variation depends on the activity. People draw out

more water on Sundays and Festival days (eg: Christmas or
Ramadan), thus increasing demand on these days.

3. Hourly variations are very important as they have a wide

range. During active household working hours i.e., from
six to ten in the morning and four to eight in the evening,
the bulk of the daily requirement is taken. During other
hours the requirement is negligible.
 Peak Demand

• An adequate quantity of water must be available to

meet both the lowest and highest points of
demand. The highest point of demand is called
PEAK DEMAND. This is important because if a
design is adequate to meet this demand, then it will
consequently meet the lower demands.

• To meet all the fluctuations, the pumps, supply

pipes, service reservoirs and distribution pipes
must all be properly proportioned or sized. Hence,
selecting the appropriate sizes of these
appurtenances is the fundamental job of the water
supply engineer.
 Peak Demand

• If a water engineer selects a pump that is

too small, it will be inadequate to produce
the required pressure thus resulting in
unreliable supply.

• On the other hand, if a pump that is too

big is selected, it will cost more money to
buy thus putting the client under undue
economic burden.

• Finding the balance is the key! Pumps and

distribution systems must be designed to
meet the peak demand.
 Peak Factors
• In water supply engineering, peak factors like
1.5 and 1.8 are often used as multipliers to
estimate peak water demand.

• These factors account for variations in water

consumption that occur during different times
of the day or different days of the week.

• The specific values of 1.5 and 1.8 are

commonly used in water distribution system
design, but they can vary based on local
regulations, standards, and specific
circumstances.
 Peak Factors
1. Peak Hourly Demand Factor (1.5): This factor is used
to estimate the peak water demand that occurs
during the highest consumption hour of the day. It
takes into account the fact that not all water uses
occur simultaneously at their maximum rates. For
instance, residential usage, commercial usage, and
industrial usage might peak at different times. The
factor of 1.5 is used to account for this variation and
provide a safety margin for accurate sizing of
distribution system components.

2. Peak Daily Demand Factor (1.8): This factor is used

to estimate the peak water demand that occurs
during the highest consumption day of the week.
Generally, water demand is higher during weekdays
compared to weekends. The factor of 1.8 takes into
consideration this increased demand on the highest
consumption day and provides a safety margin for
system design.
 Peak Factors

• It's important to understand that these

factors are simplifications of complex
consumption patterns, and they are
meant to ensure that water distribution
systems are adequately sized to meet the
needs of communities under various
conditions.

• Engineers use these factors as a practical

way to strike a balance between
overdesigning the system (which could be
costly) and underdesigning it (which could
result in inadequate service during peak
demand periods).
Factors affecting per capita demand
There are several factors that affect per capita demand. The
major ones are:
1. Size of the city: Per capita demand for big cities is
generally large as compared to that for smaller towns
as big cities have sewer houses.

2. Presence of industries.

3. Climatic conditions.

4. Habits of people and their economic status.

5. Quality of water: If water is aesthetically & medically

safe, the consumption will increase as people will not
resort to private wells, etc.

6. Pressure in the distribution system.

7. Efficiency of water works administration: Leaks in water

mains and services; and unauthorized use of water can
be kept to a minimum by surveys
 Design Period
• This quantity of water needed should be worked out with due
provision for the estimated requirements of the future.

• In Water Supply Engineering, the design period refers to the

number of years for which a water infrastructure project, such as
a water treatment plant or a distribution system, is planned and
designed to effectively serve the water needs of a specific area.
• It is an essential consideration in the design process as it helps
ensure that the infrastructure will remain functional and capable
of meeting demand over its intended lifespan.
• Common Design Periods: Common design periods in water supply
engineering are typically 20, 30, or 50 years. The choice of design
period depends on the local context, anticipated growth rates, and
the expected lifespan of the infrastructure.