Chapter 14

Question 1

What are the 2 basic water supply systems in North America?

Answer 1

1. Public

2. Private

Question 2

What are public water supply systems?

Answer 2

a function of local government or state authorized water district

Question 3

What are private water supply systems?

Answer 3

provide water to municipality, region, or single property

Question 4

What are some water supply sources?

Answer 4

lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, streams, wells, springs

Question 5

What are processing or treatment facilities?

Answer 5

purification or desalination plants

Question 6

What means are used to move the water?

Answer 6

water pumps

Question 7

Storage tanks, control valves, piping systems, and hydrants are all…

Answer 7

water distribution and storage systems

Question 8

What are the main components of public and private water supply systems?

Answer 8

1. water supply
2. processing or treatment facilities
3. means of moving water
4. water distribution/storage systems

Question 9

Why is ocean water not good supply source?

Answer 9

220 times saltier than fresh water and contains impurities

Question 10

How does one determine how much water a community needs?

Answer 10

based off of history of consumption and estimates of anticipated needs

Question 11

How can a water system be considered as “adequate”?

Answer 11

it must contain enough water for fire protection needs and domestic requirement

Question 12

Prior to entering the distribution system, what does water have to pass through first?

Answer 12

water treatment or processing facilities

Question 13

What are the 3 methods for moving water through the systems?

Answer 13

1. Gravity
2. Direct pumping
3. Combination

Question 14

What is the gravity system?

Answer 14

supply system that relies entirely on the force of gravity to create pressure and cause water to flow through the system

Question 15

What is elevation pressure?

Answer 15

The difference in the height of the water source and the point of use

Question 16

Gravity pressure is only adequate if the primary water source is

Answer 16

located more than a 100 feet higher than highest point

Question 17

True gravity systems are mainly supplied from what water source?

Answer 17

alpine lake or mountain reservoir

Question 18

What is a direct pumping system?

Answer 18

water supply system supplied directly by a system of pumps rather than elevated storage tanks

Question 19

Where are most direct pumping systems found?

Answer 19

agricultural and industrial settings

Question 20

What is a main disadvantage of direct pumping systems?

Answer 20

total dependence on pumps and on electricity

Question 21

What is a combination system?

Answer 21

water supply system that is combination of both gravity and direct pumping systems.

Question 22

What is the most common type of municipal water supply systems?

Answer 22

Combination

Question 23

What is a cistern?

Answer 23

an underground storage tank collecting rain water that is available to fire protection

Question 24

What do water distribution systems consist of?

Answer 24

1. pipes
2. storage tanks
3. control valves
4. hydrants

Question 25

What is a water main?

Answer 25

a principal pipe in a system of pipes for conveying water, especially one installed underground

Question 26

What is a primary feeder?

Answer 26

Large arterial pipes ranging from 16-72 inches

Question 27

What is a secondary feeder?

Answer 27

Intermediate pipes ranging from 12-14 inches

Question 28

Large pipes and ___________ interconnect to create a grid

Answer 28

secondary feeders

Question 29

What is a distributor?

Answer 29

Small water mains ranging from 6-8 inches

Question 30

What serves individual fire hydrants, commercial, and residential consumers?

Answer 30

Distributors

Question 31

To ensure efficient water supply____________ should run from the source of supply to the high risk and industrial districts of the community along separate routes

Answer 31

two or more primary feeders

Question 32

What is a big advantage of the grid system?

Answer 32

high demand in one area does not deplete water flow in other areas

Question 33

What is the minimum size of pipe used in residential subdivisions?

Answer 33

8 inch

Question 34

What range of water do gravity tanks hold?

Answer 34

5,000-over a million gallons

Question 35

What are the 2 types of valves?

Answer 35

1. Isolation | 2. Control

Question 36

What are isolation valves?

Answer 36

they are used to isolate sections for maintenance and repair | i.e. replacing hydrants, or to make new connections

Question 37

What are the maximum spacing lengths for valves?

Answer 37

500 feet | 800 feet in high value districts

Question 38

What is a gate valve?

Answer 38

control valve with a solid plate operated by a handle and screw mechanism. Rotating the handle moves the plate into or out of the waterway

Question 39

What is a butterfly valve?

Answer 39

Control valve that uses a flat circular plate in a pipe that rotates 90 degrees across the cross section of the pipe to control the flow of water

Question 40

How often should isolation valves be tested?

Answer 40

once a year

Question 41

Isolation valves are primarily located where?

Answer 41

on or adjacent to streets, sidewalks, and alleys or below ground

Question 42

Valves and hydrants are opened by rotating the stem....

Answer 42

counterclockwise

Question 43

What is an indicating valve?

Answer 43

shows whether the gate valve is open, closed, or partially closed

Question 44

What are two common indicating valves?

Answer 44

1. Post Indicator Valve (PIV) | 2. Outside Stem and Yoke Valve (OS & Y)

Question 45

What is a PIV?

Answer 45

type of valve used to control underground water mains that provide a visual means indicating "open" or "shut" position

Question 46

What is a OS&Y?

Answer 46

a type of control valve for a sprinkler system in which the position of the center screw indicates whether the valve is open or closed

Question 47

What is typically located between public water and private water distribution systems?

Answer 47

Control valves

Question 48

What is a flow-meter?

Answer 48

determines the quantity of water that the facility is using for billing purposes

Question 49

What is backflow preventer?

Answer 49

prohibits any water from flowing back into the public water system

Question 50

Fire hydrants should not be spaced more than______ apart?

Answer 50

300 feet in high value districts

Question 51

What does a dead end hydrant mean?

Answer 51

can only receive water from only one direction

Question 52

What does a circulating hydrant mean?

Answer 52

located on a secondary feeder or distributor main receiving water from two directions

Question 53

What does circulating feed mean?

Answer 53

fire hydrant that receives water from two or more directions

Question 54

What is a loop system?

Answer 54

water main arranged in a complete circuit so that water will be supplied to a given point from more than one direction

Question 55

Failures or reduction in water supply or pressure can result from...

Answer 55

1. Damaged hydrant valves 2. Broken water mains 3. Frozen pipes or hydrants

Question 56

What are the two main types of fire hydrants used in North America?

Answer 56

1. Dry Barrel | 2. Wet Barrel

Question 57

What is a dry barrel hydrant?

Answer 57

has its operating valve located at the base of foot of the hydrant rather than in the barrel of the hydrant. There is no water in the barrel of the hydrant when it is not in use

Question 58

What is a wet barrel hydrant?

Answer 58

has water all the way up to the discharge valve outlets. This type of valve is only used in areas with no danger of freezing weather conditions

Question 59

What is the pumper outlet nozzle?

Answer 59

fire hydrant outlet that is 4 inches in diameter or larger

Question 60

What is the steamer connection?

Answer 60

Large diameter outlet of 4.5 inches at a hydrant or at the base of an elevated water storage container