Several communities are having difficulty getting access to safe drinking water. The majority of these towns rely on small-scale water supply infrastructure. Both industrialized and developing countries are familiar with the circumstance described as a developing country problem. Access to tap water is essential for all humans because it is one of the few ways to obtain clean water. While clean water is essential, not everyone has the luxury of having it. Small-scale water delivery is the backbone of water supply in rural areas and across Europe. Yet, this system is causing a number of issues. Lack of access to tap water leads to human suffering and loss of human potential. Many chronic diseases have been associated with lack of access to clean water.
Problem Clarification and Evaluation
The most efficient water supply system is the large-scale water supply system which is used in many developed countries. However, such systems are expensive to build and maintain. Governments have therefore resolved into small scale-water supply system which has faced a couple of challenges. With the small-scale water supply system, it is not guaranteed that every household will access tap water. The challenges of accessing tap water are the regulatory environment, administration, management, operation, availability of technical personnel; and financial resources.
The EU supranational legislation is an example of the regulatory problems regarding access to water supply. According to the provisions of Drinking water directive, every member state is allowed to exempt supplies serving less than ten cubic millimeters a day or one serving less than 50 people (Ripoll and Trauner 2014, p. 1143). In cases where regulatory requirements for small-scale water supplies exists, the enforcement mechanisms tend to be weak or ineffective hence not all people in such areas access to tap water. Additionally, due to a large number of the geographical spread of small-scale water supplies, these areas tend to be ignored and do not receive significant amounts of tap water. The regulations on drinking water are usually concentrated on areas with a large size of the population. In some jurisdiction, private wells are excluded from any monitoring requirements. The communities relying on small-scale water supply are often unable to overcome challenges of poorer quality drinking water, increased costs associated with supplying water due to the remoteness and isolation of these areas. Additionally, the operators lack a support network, standard procedures, and technical support (Green et al. 2013 p.22). Lastly, the infrastructure of small-scale systems is often characterized by poor construction and inadequate maintenance.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths. The government has resources that can be used in eradicating the problem. The municipal also has vast technical teams which know about creating good water supply systems.
Weakness. The greatest weakness is that there are fewer regulations on small-scale water systems. The water in these systems is rarely tested and less frequently treated. Additionally, the cost of accessing tap water in some areas is very high due to the isolation and remoteness of these areas (Henle et al., 2013 p. 13). The owners of small-scale systems often lack knowledge or the interest in improving their water systems.
Opportunities. The municipal has many engineering students who have the skills to develop significant water supply systems which could ensure every household has access to significant amount of tap water.
Threat. The people in the area are reluctant to change. If they continue using unsafe water harvest systems, they are likely to suffer from waterborne diseases.
Design methods to Develop ideas
The design method used was brainstorming. The method was chosen due to its efficiency in coming up with multiple ideas for the solution. Brainstorming is important in engineering due to several reasons. First, the method is cheap as it only requires the individuals to meet and give their ideas. Secondly, it encourages critical thinking as it requires one to solve a critical problem or create something innovative. The more a group of people brainstorms, the better they become at encountering a problem. Third, the process helps build a team since when people practice brainstorming as a group, they take team ownership of the project.
The group came up with many ideas which were based on the efficiency, cost reduction, safety and ease of use among others. Each of the group members developed five different ideas. Among the ideas developed were developing water distribution systems that will supply water to all the residents. The systems were convenient, cheap to install and required minimal maintenance. Most of the systems however, will require high capital due to the expensive materials required which will ensure the system is durable.
Design process
After brainstorming, the following were the top 8 ideas.
Dead-end distribution system. The system is also known as a tree system in that one pipe runs in the middle while other pipes known as the branches run into the households.
The grind iron distribution system. The system consists of a supply pipe at the center and sub-mains running into perpendicular directions.
The ring distribution system which forms a ring around the area and branches across the joined areas.
The radial distribution system in which the whole area is divided into several supply areas.
Pipe network analysis. The network is based on the concept that on any closed loop in the network, the heat loss around the loop must vanish.
A heuristic-based system which details the source, distribution and the speed per hour.
Hydrant piping is showing the ability of water system to deliver enough quantities of water at adequate pressure.
Branched System configuration with the sub-main pipes connected to the main pipe. Mostly used in the urban areas.
Drawn Design Ideas
Dead-end distribution system. The system is also known as a tree system in that one pipe runs in the middle while other pipes known as the branches run into the households.
VON HUBEN, H. (2005). Water distribution operator training handbook. Denver,
Colo, American Water Works Association http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3116813.
The grind iron distribution system. The system consists of a supply pipe at the center and sub-mains running into perpendicular directions.
GONU (Editor) (2009): Technical Guidelines for the Construction and Management of
Drinking Water Distribution Networks. Khartoum: Government of National Unity (GONU).
The ring distribution system which forms a ring around the area and branches across the joined areas.
O. Oyedele Adeosun, (2014, September). Water Distribution System Challenges And
Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.wateronline.com/doc/water-distribution-system-challenges-and-solutions-0001
The radial distribution system in which the municipal area is divided into several delivery areas.
O. Oyedele Adeosun, (2014, September). Water Distribution System Challenges And
Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.wateronline.com/doc/water-distribution-system-challenges-and-solutions-0001
Pipe network analysis. The network is based on the concept that on any closed loop in the network, the heat loss around the loop must vanish.
Mohsin Siddiques. (2015). Pipe Network Analysis with Examples.
Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/yourmohsin/pipe-network-analysis
A heuristic-based system which details the source, distribution and the speed per hour.
R. Suribabu C. (2012, February). Heuristic-Based Pipe Dimensioning Model for Water
Distribution Networks.
Hydrant piping is showing the ability of water system to deliver enough quantities of water at adequate pressure.
Amos Phllips. (2017, August 10). Video: Fire Hydrant Time: 1:01 Chap ppt video online
download. Retrieved from http://slideplayer.com/slide/10195680
Branched System configuration with the sub-main pipes connected to the main pipe. Mostly used in the urban areas.
The National Academic Press. (2006). 1 Introduction | Drinking Water Distribution Systems:
Assessing and Reducing Risks | The National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/11728/chapter/3#20
Final design
The final design selected by the group is the hydrant piping design. The design was selected based on the plug method whereby, the various variations such as the convenience, the speed, the cost and the effectiveness of the systems were discussed and hydrant system scored the most points. The hydrant piping has pipes with different sizes. The main supply pipe is 400mm hence can carry large volumes of water. The secondary feeder is 300mm hence carries less water than the primary feeder while the distributors are 200mm carrying less water than both primary and secondary feeders. The different sizes of the pipes will ensure all households access tap water. It will eliminate situations where some households do not receive tap water due to gravity differences. The sustainability of the system is high as it is one that can serve the municipal for many years. The pipes to be used are high quality. Additionally, they are prone to minimum leakages, and their cost is affordable.
References
Amos Phllips. (2017, August 10). Video: Fire Hydrant Time: 1:01 Chap ppt video online
download. Retrieved from http://slideplayer.com/slide/10195680
Green, O., Garmestani, A., van Rijswick, H. and Keessen, A., 2013. EU water governance: striking the right balance between regulatory flexibility and enforcement?. Ecology
and Society, 18(2).
GONU (Editor) (2009): Technical Guidelines for the Construction and Management of
Drinking Water Distribution Networks. Khartoum: Government of National Unity (GONU).
Henle, K., Bauch, B., Auliya, M., Külvik, M., Pe‘er, G., Schmeller, D.S. and Framstad, E.,
2013. Priorities for biodiversity monitoring in Europe: A review of supranational
policies and a novel scheme for integrative prioritization. Ecological Indicators, 33, pp.5-18.
O. Oyedele Adeosun, (2014, September). Water Distribution System Challenges And
Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.wateronline.com/doc/water-distribution-system-challenges-and-solutions-0001
Mohsin Siddiques. (2015). Pipe Network Analysis with Examples.
Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/yourmohsin/pipe-network-analysis
The National Academic Press. (2006). 1 Introduction | Drinking Water Distribution Systems:
Assessing and Reducing Risks | The National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/11728/chapter/3#20
Ripoll Servent, A. and Trauner, F., 2014. Do supranational EU institutions make a
difference? EU asylum law before and after ‘communitarization’. Journal of European Public Policy, 21(8), pp.1142-1162.
R. Suribabu C. (2012, February). Heuristic-Based Pipe Dimensioning Model for Water
Distribution Networks.
VON HUBEN, H. (2005). Water distribution operator training handbook. Denver,
Colo, American Water Works Association http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3116813.
