Unit 5 WATER SUPPLY

A water supply for a town usually includes a storage reservoir at the source of
the supply, a pipeline from the storage reservoir to the distribution reservoir near the
town, and finally the distribution pipes buried in the streets, taking the water to the
houses, shops, factories, and offices. The main equipment is thus the two reservoirs
and the pipeline between them. The function of the storage reservoir is to keep enough
water over one or several years to provide for all high demands in dry periods, and the
distribution reservoir has the same function for the day or the week. The storage
reservoir by its existence allows the supply sources to be smaller and less expensive,
and the distribution reservoir similarly allows the pipeline and pumps to be smaller
and cheaper than they would be if it did not exist.

In the United States, some of whose cities have the largest water use in the world per
person, the average use per person varies from 200 to 5,000 litres per day, averaging some
500 litres/day/person. But it must not be assumed that colder countries will eventually
reach the same level of use, because much of the highest US demand comes from the
water spent in summer on air conditioning equipment and the watering of gardens.

Water engineers must therefore study the water use per person (consumption per
head) in their own country and choose a figure based on the most advanced
community there. The chosen consumption per head must be multiplied by the
estimated population at the date for which the supply is being planned, some thirty
years ahead or more. The supply and the storage equipment must be designed to be
large enough for this period since neither of them is so easily extended as the
distribution system. This can be extended as the need arises and as the houses are built.

( Sourse: JOHN. S. COTT, Civil Engineering, Longman, 1975)

VOCABULARY
air conditioning equipment : thiết bị điều hoà
advanced community : cộng đồng tiên tiến
arise (v) : phát sinh, nảy sinh
assume (v) : giả sử, cho rằng

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 assumption (n) : giả thuyết
average use (n) : mức sử dụng trung bình
bury (v) : chôn
consume (v) : tiêu thụ
consumption (n) : sự thiêu thụ
consumer (n) : sự tiêu thụ
demand (n) : nhu cầu
distribution reservoir (n) : bể phân phối
distribution pipe (n) : ống phân phối
distribution system (n) : hệ thống phân phối
extend (v) : mở rộng, kéo dài
existence (n) : sự tồn tại
estimated population (n) : dân số ước tính
figure (n) : số liệu, con số
multiply (v) : nhân
provide (v) : cung cấp
pipeline (n) : đường ống
storage reservoir (n) : bể chứa / bể dự trữ
supply pipe (n) : ống cấp
supply source (n) : nguồn cấp
vary (v) : dao động, thay đổi
water supply (n) : nguồn cấp nước

COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. What does a water supply for a town usually consist of?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
2. What is the function of the storage reservoir?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
3. Does the distribution reservoir have the same function as the storage reservoir?
Why?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

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 4. What is the pipe that carries clean water to factories, hospitals and offices called?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
5. Is the water used in cold countries less than in the hot ones? why?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
6. Why do water engineers have to study water consumption per head?
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Exercise 1: Use the following words to label the drawing of the Water Supply System:

corporation stop, shutoff valve, curb box, raw water, water tower,
service pipe, water meter, curb cock, water main, reservoir, potable water.

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Exercise 2: Match a line in A with a line in B.

A B
a . waterworks 1. a valve controlling the flow of water from a main to a
service pipe.
b. water treatment 2. water that requires treatment before it can be used for
drinking.
c. water tower 3. a valve for shutting off the water flow from a supply
pipe.
d. water main 4. a pipe that allows water to escape from overflowing
cisterns, basins, baths and sinks.
e. water meter 5. a main pipe that carries water from water works to
different districts.
f. raw water 6. a natural or artificial place where water is collected
and stored for use.
g. potable water 7. a device for measuring and recording the quantity of
water passing through a pipe.
h. corporation stop 8. place where water is taken from rivers and purified.
i. curb cork 9. water fit for human consumption.
j. shutoff valve 10. a process of purifying and clarifying raw water for
drinking.
k. service pipe 11. a control valve for shutting off the water supply to a
building in case of an emergency.
1. overflowing pipe 12. a pipe connecting a building to a water main.
m. reservoir 13. a tower into which water is pumped to a height
sufficient to maintain a desired pressure for
distribution to customers.

Exercise 3: Use the following words to fill in the blanks.

chlorination, dirt, filtration, aeration, air, water, filter, treatment.

There are different ways of purifying water for use such as filtration, aeration
and chlorination. The first method is (1) ………………. . It is the way in which dirty
water is passed through a (2) ………………. . It consists of a bed of sand or gravel

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which removes (3) ………………. that might otherwise contaminates the supply.
The second method is (4) ………………... in which sprays of water are shot into the
(5) …………….…. where sunshine and oxygen help to kill bacteria and also
remove gases with unpleasant odor or taste; or air is bubbled into or through the
(6) ………………. . And the final method is chlorination. This method involves
(7) ………….……. with chemical, usually chlorine, to kill harmful bacteria.

Exercise 4: Complete the sentence in the text by forming a suitable new word
form from the provided word in bracket.

1. Distribution pipes which are ..................... in the streets take (BURY)

the water to the houses, factories, and offices.
2. The storage reservoir by its .................... allows the supply (EXIST)
sources to be smaller and less expensive.
3. The chosen consumption per head must be multiplied by the (ESTIMATE)
........................ population.
4. A water supply for a town usually includes a ...................... (STORE)
reservoir at the source of the supply.
5. The distribution reservoir ............................ allows the (SIMILAR)
pipeline and pumps to be smaller and cheaper.
6. Water engineers must study the water........................... per (CONSUME)
person in their own country.
7. The .......................... water use per head must be multiplied by (CHOOSE)
the estimated population.
8. Raw water is water that requires .......................... before it can (TREAT)
be used for drinking.
9. Service pipe is a pipe ......................... a building to a water (CONNECT)
main.
10. Water tower is a tower into which water is pumped to a (HIGH)
sufficient ......................... .
11. One modern method of disposing of trash and domestic (RECYCLE)
wastes is .............................. .
12. Some kinds of trash can be collected .................... such as: (SEPARATE)
glass, newspapers, and aluminum cans.

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 Exercise 5: Use the following sets of words and phrases to write complete sentences.
1. distribution reservoir / have / same / function / keep / enough water / day / week.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
2. function / storage reservoir / be / keep / enough water / several / year .
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
3. distribution system / can / extended / as / need / arise / as / houses / be built.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
4. United States, / some / whose / cities / have / largest / water use / world / per person.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
5. supply / storage equipment / must / designed / be / large enough / this period.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
6. Much/ highest / US demand / come / water /spend / summer /air conditioning
equipment.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
7. water engineers / spend / two / months / design / distribution system / this residential
area / last year.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
8. report / shortage / water / some residential areas / have / be / submit / the director /
water engineer.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
9. After water engineer / study / water use / person, he / have / multiply / it /
estimated population.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
10. It / important / save / water resource / natural mineral.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................

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11. Water engineers / have / study / water use / person / year / before / plan / water
supply / residential area.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................

Exercise 6: Rewrite each of these sentences in such a way that it has the same
meaning as the given one.
1. A construction site is an area. The building is built in this area.
A construction .............................................................................................................
2. The water engineer handed in his record. His record was about the water
consumption in ten years.
The water engineer ......................................................................................................
3. Water engineers have to study water use per person per year. They base on this
water use per person to make plan of water supply.
Water engineers............................................................................................................
4. A storage reservoir is a very large tank or an artificial place. This storage
reservoir stores water for future use.
A storage reservoir ......................................................................................................
5. It's necessary to save water resources and natural minerals.
Saving...........................................................................................................................
6. Water engineers have to study water use per person per year before planning the
water supply for a residential area.
Water use......................................................................................................................
7. The water engineer has just handed his report on the shortage of water in some
residential areas to the director.
The director .................................................................................................................
8. The supply pipe to that 8-story building was repaired for 5 days.
It ................................................................................................................................
9. "Have you checked the drain in the kitchen yet?" The foreman plumber asked his
man.
The foreman plumber asked his man..........................................................................
10. Waste water can be treated for watering trees.
We ................................................................................................................................
11. "How many ways of purifying water are there?" He asked the water engineer.
He asked ......................................................................................................................

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 FURTHER READING
THE ROLE OF THE ENGINEER

Practicing wastewater engineers are involved in the conception, planning,

evaluation, design, construction, and operation of the systems that are needed to meet
wastewater management objectives. The major elements of wastewater systems and
the associated engineering tasks are identified in Table 1.
Knowledge of the methods used for the determination of wastewater flow rates
and characteristics is essential to an understanding of all aspects of wastewater
engineering. The subjects of source control, collection, and transmission and
pumping. Must also be studied by the engineer if truly integrated wastewater systems
are to be designed.
The primary focus is on two elements listed in Table 1: treatment, and disposal
and reuse. These areas of wastewater engineering, like the others, have been and
continue to be in a dynamic period of development. Old ideas are being reevaluated,
and new concepts are being formulated. To play an active role in the development of
this field, the engineer must know the fundamentals on which it is based.

Table1. Major elements of wastewater management systems and associated

engineering tasks.

Element Engineering task

Wastewater generation
Source control (pretreatment)
Collection system
Transmission and pumping
Estimation of the quantities of wastewater;
evaluation of techniques for the reduction of
wastewater, and determination of wastewater
characteristics.
Design of systems to provide partial treatment of
wastewater before it is discharged to collection
systems (principally involves industrial
dischargers).
Design of sewers used to remove wastewater
from the various sources of wastewater
generation.
Design of large sewers (often called trunk and
interceptor sewers), pumping stations, and force

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 mains for transporting wastewater to treatment
facilities or to other locations for processing.
Treatment (wastewater and Selection, analysis, and design of treatment
sludge) operation and processes to meet specified
treatment objectives related to the removal of
wastewater contaminants of concern.
Disposal and reuse Concern Design of facilities used for the disposal
(wastewater and sludge) and reuse of treated effluent in the aquatic and
land environment, and the disposal and reuse of
sludge.
Design of facilities for the collection, treatment
Small systems and disposal and reuse of wastewater from
individual residences and small communities

VOCABULARY
role (n) : vai trò
be involved in (v) : tham gia vào
conception (n) : nhận thức, quan niệm
planning (n) : qui hoạch
evaluation (n) : đánh giá
operation (n) : vận hành
maintenance (n) : bảo dưỡng
objective (n) : mục đích
determination (n) : xác định
flowrates (n) : lưu lượng định mức
characteristic (n) : đặc tính
essential (adj) : cần thiết, thiết yếu, cơ bản
aspect (n) : khía cạnh, mặt, vấn đề
subject (n) : môn học, đối tượng nghiên cứu, chủ đề
control (n) : kiểm soát
collection (n) : thu thập, thu
transmission (n) : truyền tải
integrated (adj) : hợp nhất
area (n) : lĩnh vực
dynamic (adj) : sôi động

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 generation (n) : sự phát sinh
estimation (n) : sự ước lượng, sự đánh giá, dự toán
partial (adj) : từng phần
discharger (n) : cơ sở xả (nước thải), nguồn xả nước thải
sewer (n) : cống, ống thải lớn
pumping station (n) : trạm bơm
effluent (n) : chất thải
aquatic (adj) : nước
individual (adj) : tư nhân
facility (n) : công trình
sludge (n) : bùn, bùn đặc

COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. What are practicing wastewater engineers involved in?
2. What must the engineer study if truly integrated wastewater systems are to be
designed?
3. What areas of wastewater engineering have been and continue to be in a
dynamic period of development?
4. What does the engineer have to know to play an active role in the development
of wastewater engineering?

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