Design of Small Water Systems

Course Summary:

This course provides guidance and criteria for the design of small water supply, treatment, and distribution systems. For the purpose of this course, small water systems shall be those having average daily design flow rates of 380 000 liters per day (l/d) (100 000 gallons per day (gpd)) or less. However, the use of the term small is arbitrary, there being no consensus in the water supply literature with respect to its meaning. Regulations regarding the acceptability of a water source, degree of treatment required, and the monitoring requirements are not based on flow rates, but rather on a water system classification relating to the number of people served and for what period of time.

This course provides information of interest to planners and designers of small water systems. Such systems generally cannot benefit from economies of scale, and proper management and operation are critical to produce satisfactory finished water quality. Therefore, the major emphasis of the course is on the design of systems that will be effective and reliable, but that require a level of operation and management activity commensurate with their physical size and the available resources.

Learning Objective:

• Introduction
• Preliminary Planning and Design
• Water Quality Requirements
• Water Quantity Requirements
• Water Sources
• Water Treatment
• Pumping, Storage and distribution

Review the quiz before studying the course.

Course Content

Course Author: US Army Corp of Engineers