The main objectives of the module are to introduce the basics of planning, hydraulic- and engineering design, construction, operation & maintenance of water transport and distribution systems.

Learning objectives

At the end of the course, the participant should be able to decide on the main planning elements of these systems, namely designing demands, pressures, velocities and gradients.

Furthermore, he/she should fully understand the steady-state hydraulics, be able to choose adequate supplying schemes, to suggest a network layout, main components and pipe materials, be able to distinguish between various operational modes and finally, be able to judge technical solutions dealing with the system maintenance, rehabilitation, and expansion.

Target group

The target group for this programme comprises mid-career professionals dealing with technical aspects of drinking water transport & distribution, working for municipal assemblies, water supply companies or consulting bureaus. They should possess a BSc degree in Civil Engineering or similar technical background, have basic PC knowledge and a good command of the English language.

Course structure

Participants complete the course in a period of approximately four months with a workload of 8 hours a week, on average.

Course content

The course comprises the following subjects:

Introduction to water transport and distribution
Pumping stations
Unaccounted for water & leakage
Urban water demand management & planning
Water supply from the roof tanks

The first subject in the above list is compulsory and furthermore the participant has freedom to choose any three out of the remaining four subjects.

The subjects cover the following syllabus:

Introduction: main objectives and components of water transport and distribution systems.
Water demand: categories, patterns, calculation, forecasting.
Hydraulics of pressurised flows: basic equations, single pipe calculation, branched and looped networks, system- and pump characteristics, pressure related demand; hydraulics of storage and pumps.
Main components of hydraulic design: design parameters, choice of supply scheme, network layouts.
Engineering design: choice of pipe materials, valves and other equipment.
Pumping stations: review of various pumps and their applications, design of pumping stations, power requirements and energy consumption, auxiliary equipment.
Network construction: pipe laying, testing and disinfection.
Operation & maintenance: regular & irregular supply; unaccounted-for water definition, structure& survey; leak detection methods; network cleaning and rehabilitation procedures; water demand management measures.
Roof tanks: applications in water scarce areas, hydraulic operation, design, construction and maintenance.