How to Calculate Water Loss in Distribution System?

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1. How to calculate water loss on a college campus?

2. Kindly attached some published article on this.

3. What are the precautions and measures and solutions for this?

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11 Answers

  1. 1. Check if you have reliable water meters installed and pipe layout drawing. You can compare the consumption (volume) between Inlet and Outlet Water Meters.

    Inlet Water Meters: e.g. water meters from roof tank or ground tank that supply your water

    Outlet Water Meters: e.g water meters on each floor or each buildings

    Then compare the consumption (volume) based on a time cut off at the same time. Based on my experience, difference < 10% is considered to be normal.

     

    2. Do “Step Test”. At night close all output and see whether the Inlet Water Meter is still counting or not. If still counting, means that flow exists and you potentially have physical leakage and you need to locate it. That is why you need pipe layout and reliable water meters installed.

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  2. In Mexico, our National Autonomous University (UNAM) launched several years ago a " Programme  for  Water  Management, Use and Reuse at UNAM". You can find some information at http://www.pumagua.unam.mx/assets/pdfs/pumagua_english_version.pdf and/or contact Mrs. Cecilia LARTIGUE clartigueb@iingen.unam.mx

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    1. Dear RICARDO SANDOVAL-MINERO 

      neither link nor email are working... please send me again.

       

      thank you!

      1 Comment reply

  5. There are several types of water loss, but the ones you pay for are perhaps the most important.  The fastest way is to find the water meters that enter the area in question.  Locate what they feed and read them at night when all good people should be fast asleep and not using water knowingly.  in the UK this is 0300hrs to 0330hrs, but it may be earlier or later depending on night activity.

    On meters with high night use, identify if there is a reason for it.  There is a certain amount of domestic use at night but by the selecting time you choose it is likley that local cisterns could be full.  If these continue to fill throughout the night this will indicate a number of things, leakage being one of them,

    There is a lot of references on the UKWIR website with a 'Manageing Leakage tome being quite the most comprehensive.  Get the college to buy it.   Good Luck 

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  7. he best place to start is a correct and thorough Water Balance of flows and volumes into and out of the campus network. You would be well advised to get accurate pipe layouts for both underground and above ground pipes. If you have meters then check they are working and capable of being read at both daily and hourly intervals at night. Use "IWA Water Balance" in google to get papers and pictures of the principles.

     

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  8. I have no data on hand to answer questions 1 and 2 but definitely my suggestions on question # 3.

    First of of all you should educate the students about the importance of water and what they must do conserve it. I have observed that people leave water faucet running while brushing teeth. Persuade students to shut-off faucets (Water taps) while brushing teeth. Another way to limit the water usage in the toilets is to use sensor controlled faucets.

    Facility maintenance team should be instructed to repair the leaks the moment they spot it.

    If there is a landscape area at the facility, automatic irrigation system with latest smart controllers should be used. Garden hose should never be used  to irrigate grass and other planting material.

    I hope you like my suggestions and make sure that these are implemented at campus in question.

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  9. Estimate your total water demand by using values given in National Building Code. If it is less than water consumption then possibility of leakages can not be ruled out.

    Leakages are from underground tank & water distribution system.

    One has to understand the distribution system in campus. It is generally from underground tank to the overhead tank.

     

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  10. 1st step is to make sure that you are aware of the pipe network in the campus. If possible try to get the latest drawings.

    Next, identify the main branches / inter connections to understand how flow is distributed.

    Check if flow meters are available in these locations. If available, then it's easy mathematics for you to understand if water supplied is received at customer end. If not, arrange for bulk meters & hen do the calculations. If you have budget constraint arrange for temporary metering solutions like Ultrasonic meter. It may not e accurate,, but definitely will give you a volume to start with

     

     

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  11. It may be possible to work with the local water utility and establish the campus area as a district metered area.  This will allow you to monitor the rate of flow into the campus area during day and night as well as total feed to the zone.  Presuming that there is no significant tank storage and meters are in place at individual buildings, a comparison of the aggregate meters and the district meters will provide an answer.  If the campus water is not metered by an aggregate of buildings, district metering can still help to estimate leakage but looking at minimum flows. 

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