Controlling water quality in intermittent supply systems

In countries suffering from chronic water shortages, water distribution systems are often operated on an intermittent basis, leaving them unpressurised and allowing ingress of contaminated groundwater, particularly in areas lacking sewerage systems. The periods of stagnation can promote microbial re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science & technology. Water supply 2003-01, Vol.3 (1-2), p.119-125
Main Authors: Coelho, S T, James, S, Sunna, N, Jaish, A A, Chatila, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Biofilms
Groundwater
Groundwater pollution
Microorganisms
Procedures
Quality control
Regrowth
Sewage
Sewer systems
Sewerage
Stagnation
Storage tanks
Water distribution
Water distribution systems
Water engineering
Water quality
Water quality control
Water shortages
Water tanks
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Summary:In countries suffering from chronic water shortages, water distribution systems are often operated on an intermittent basis, leaving them unpressurised and allowing ingress of contaminated groundwater, particularly in areas lacking sewerage systems. The periods of stagnation can promote microbial regrowth, further compromising water quality. On the other hand, peaks in pressure and velocity in the pipe network lead to biofilm detachment events, thus releasing microbial cells that may escape the regular quality monitoring procedures and thus increase risk for the consumer. Finally, intermittent supply requires consumers to store water in household storage tanks, which often encourage bacterial regrowth. This paper reports on research undertaken in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, the UK and Portugal, which provided an improved understanding of the factors controlling bacterial concentrations in intermittent supplies, and presents an overview of the most important aspects of water quality control in intermittently operated networks.
ISSN:1606-9749
1607-0798
DOI:10.2166/ws.2003.0094