Where does the water in your faucet come from? Where does the water enter the plumbing system Where does the cold water come from

Where does water enter the plumbing system? BC "POISK", tell friends: May 20th, 2017

Opening a faucet with cold or hot water in the morning, none of us thinks about the fact that a hundred years ago this level of comfort was absolutely inaccessible for the overwhelming population of our planet.

Only wealthy owners of comfortable apartments in big cities could afford the use of water supply and sewerage.

The overwhelming majority of the population, like thousands of years ago, had to carry water in buckets from the nearest well, stream, or at best from a standpipe.

The twentieth century has radically changed the way of life of man. It was a century of revolutionary changes in many spheres of life, including the public sector.

Plumbing and sewerage came to literally every home and from a luxury item they became an urgent need for both urban and rural life. However, not all residents of city apartments understand how the water supply system of their house is arranged, where water comes from and where it leaves the sink, bath or toilet.

Water purification

We all know that today drinking water drawn from a river or lake without first filtering and boiling it is dangerous for health. But the water that fills our water pipes is usually drawn from the nearest large body of water. Of course, it first goes through a complex cleaning system at the water intake station.


Water purification is carried out in several stages. First, river water is pumped from the river into the station's storage tank with powerful pumps. There it passes through several filter pipes with gratings, being cleaned of large debris - fragments of wood, algae and other contaminants.

Then you should catch and precipitate small particles of sand, silt, pieces of algae. To do this, water is passed through several filters, first filled with coarse gravel, then finer. From the smallest particles of dirt, water is purified by passing through a filter made of washed river sand.

The next stage is disinfection, which is performed either by adding a disinfectant to the water or by ultraviolet irradiation. The second method is more modern and completely harmless to human health. However, in some regions, water is still disinfected by chlorination.

City water supply

The water supply system of a modern large city is a complex engineering structure, consisting of several main lines and numerous branches suitable for individual houses and apartments.

In the past, in order for water to flow through pipes, a water tower was used with a reservoir located at a high altitude. Water was pumped into the reservoir, and from there it was supplied through pipes to houses and apartments.

In a modern city, this system would not be able to meet the needs of even one microdistrict. And how high would a tower be needed to create enough pressure to supply water to the 25th floor? Therefore, the necessary pressure in the pipes is created by powerful electric pumps located in the most important nodes of the water supply network.


True, in the event of a major power outage, an urban area can be left not only without electricity, but also without water. To avoid this, pumping stations are equipped with independent or backup sources of electricity.

In order to reach your home, river water must pass through a system of filters, through several powerful pumps, and through a labyrinth of pipes. And if it is hot water, then through the boiler of the boiler station that provides heat to your area.

Sewer system

Bringing water to every house and apartment is only half the problem. When you turn on the faucet to wash your face or wash the dishes, the used water flows out into the sink hole. But where does she go then?

Wastewater from kitchen sink drains, bathtubs, showers and toilets enters sewer pipe, and from there they go to the collector of the central sewer line. Waste water from many apartments and houses is collected there.

With the help of special fecal pumps designed for pumping dirty clogged water, wastewater is diverted from residential areas and industrial enterprises.

Unfortunately, it is by no means possible to simply dump wastewater into the river. They contain a lot of harmful and toxic pollution, which, once in the river, will quickly poison all living things in it, turning it into the same sewer, only on a larger scale. Therefore, waste water must be treated without fail.

Each city has a special treatment plant (and in large cities there are usually several), where the water is completely freed from dirt and becomes suitable for discharge into the river or for reuse.

Cleaning is carried out, as in the case of tap water, in several stages. But even purified water is not suitable for drinking - it is discharged into the irrigation systems of nearby agricultural enterprises.


In order for us to use things familiar from childhood - a water tap and a bathroom - utilities do a great job every day. Do not forget about it and do not waste water in vain, because it is our wealth!

People cannot imagine their life without water. Owners of land plots have the opportunity to build a well and take water from it for all household needs.

A completely different situation develops in apartment buildings and urban areas. To provide residents with water, city authorities allocate a significant percentage of budgetary funds. This money goes to the installation of plumbing systems and their in-line repairs. A minor breakdown in the system can have catastrophic consequences.

All human life is surrounded by water: in the form of a drink, an ingredient for cooking and as a means of hygiene. Natural reservoirs, artificially created ponds, wells and wells have different purposes, but their importance is invaluable. Desert dwellers and nomadic tribes value water above all else.

Consider how water enters the taps of a city apartment. Water intake stations are the first step on this path. They pump water from natural springs or reservoirs. After that, it falls into special large tanks. They contain sophisticated Aquaphor water filters that can purify large volumes of liquid. Pollution, in the form of sedimentary rocks and other mechanical particles, remains outside and does not fall into the tanks. The water in these tanks is subjected to additional purification with special solutions that purify it from organic compounds and disinfect it.

Purified water, with the help of powerful pump communications, passes under great pressure into the pipes. Each water intake station is designed for a certain capacity and can supply both the minimum amount of water and the maximum possible. To do this, observations are made of water consumption in certain time periods and depending on the time of year. The stations must have backup pumps and other equipment necessary in case of breakdown of the main one and during repairs. If there are emergencies, then their presence is vital for the people who are provided with water from this supply.

The pumping station consists of a system of pumps with reverse osmosis filters, internal motors and electrical supply. For uninterrupted operation of pumping and filtering equipment, electrical power is required. It should not be interrupted because the water supply of the population is a priority. Equal in value, with water supply, are Fire safety and an ambulance service.

The power sources of each water intake station are central power supply and stationary, which is switched on in emergency moments. On the territory of the station there are generators that can have a diesel and gasoline principle of operation. The capacities of the generators are designed to provide, in a minimum mode, all the needs of people not only in "sleeping areas", but also in the industrial zones of the city.

The equipment of water intake stations is constantly inspected. If malfunctions occur, they are eliminated in the shortest possible time. Water samples are taken every day at the exit to the city system. Sanitary and epidemiological stations carry out analyzes that consider the presence of hazardous chemical elements and pathogenic bacteria.

Uninterrupted operation of water supply systems and excellent indicators of water quality are a guarantee of public health.

The life of all life on Earth depends on the much-needed transparent liquid, but at the same time, no one knows for sure where water comes from and how it appeared on our planet. Some hope is inspired by recent findings confirming the presence of water in one form or another on many other celestial bodies. This gives a little hope that we are not alone in the universe.

Why does a person need water?

The daily water requirement of an adult is ~2 liters:

• Fluid is necessary for the normal course of metabolic processes.
• Partially thanks to water, blood flow and fluid reserves in the cells and intercellular space are replenished.
• It is necessary for the regulation of electrolyte balance. Its violations can lead to the cessation of nerve impulses.
• Without fluid, the average person will not live more than a few days.

All this makes you think that there is not much drinking water on the planet.

Most of it is sea ​​water , the presence of salt in its composition eliminates the possibility of quenching thirst. And this is considering that life-giving not only to people, but also to all representatives of flora and fauna.

Where did the water come from?

In my own way chemical composition water represents combination of oxygen and hydrogen . There are a lot of hydrogen atoms in the Universe, because all the stars are its "forges". It’s already a little more complicated with oxygen, but specifically on our planet it has been, almost from the first days. It remains only to wait for the connection of the two elements into something unique and completely new, but when there are billions of years ahead, you can wait a bit.

Scientists still cannot understand the nature of the heat capacity and heat transfer of water. According to all the laws of chemistry, this substance should have had completely different indicators.

Maybe it's the level of our knowledge, or maybe things are much more interesting. But today we can confidently say about water the following:

1. Water is not only on Earth, but also in many other corners of the universe.
2. It was formed as a result of the combination of hydrogen and oxygen in proportions of 2 to 1.
3. Water is found both on planets and on asteroids and comets.
4. It is even present in outer space. Most often found in solid form.

Where does water come from on earth?

Regarding the appearance of water on our home planet, there are two opposing theories:

No one can put a final point in this dispute, our ideas about the world around us are still largely fragmented. But it is the first theory that looks the most promising.

Earthly origin of water

Today we know for certain that the Earth is not unique in terms of the presence of water. In the same comets and meteorites, H2O should have somehow formed. This means that the mechanism for the production of water in the Universe exists, which adds a ball to the treasury of supporters of the theory of the terrestrial origin of water.

Mankind has successfully explored moon And did not find any traces of water there. And this is on the nearest satellite, which, by astronomical standards, is “within a stone's throw”. Some selective comets and meteorites brought water to the Earth, but not to the Moon. It can be stated that the moon has no atmosphere of its own, but the almost complete absence of an atmosphere on Mars did not prevent the existence of entire “ice caps” at its poles.

What can we say about the number of celestial bodies necessary in order to "refuel" the Earth with all the water that is now on it. In addition, this in no way explains why most of the water is salty and only a small proportion is fresh ( according to statistics 3% fresh and 97% salty).

But if H2O was formed on Earth as a result of a chain of chemical reactions, a couple of answers to this question can be considered.

Where does the water in the tap come from?

But more often than not, we are concerned about more pressing issues than the nature of the origin of water. Much more interesting how does it get into our taps and then "migrate" to teapots and pots.

According to the developed hygiene standards, there are:

• A reservoir from which water is taken for the needs of the population.
• A number of water intake structures that collect and filter fluid.
• An extensive water supply system. The very pipes through which liquid flows into our homes.

Water quality is regularly monitored, observing GOST and other standards. That's just quality of water pipes leaves much to be desired.

Even if the water was perfectly clean "at the entrance" to the system, at the "output" it is not always suitable for consumption. That's why tap water should be filtered and boiled.

Some are addicted to settling, freezing and other complex filtration systems. If we were somewhere in Nigeria, such precautions would have a right to exist. But in the post-Soviet space with water from the pipeline, everything is not so bad.

Where did the water come from?

The existence of water on our planet is ensured by:

• Complex climate change.
• The different amount of heat that the surface receives.
• The process of evaporation and condensation of a liquid.
• The presence of the Sun, which provided the influx of hydrogen.
• Emission of oxygen by magma and its fusion with hydrogen.

Looking at the question from a slightly down-to-earth point of view:

1. Water is supplied to apartments and houses through pipes.
2. In them, it is given under pressure from water intake facilities.
3. This is where the water is filtered.
4. And it is taken from the nearest reservoir - rivers, lakes, reservoirs.

But it is important not only to know where the water comes from, but also to maintain a normal water-salt balance in your own body.

Some questions are actually more difficult than they seem at first glance. From a scientific point of view, not many people can explain where water comes from. Now you know that this liquid did not just come from a tap.

Video about the origin of water on Earth

Imagine an ordinary morning in one of the high-rise buildings in the sleeping area of ​​our beloved city: toilet, shower, shave, tea, brush your teeth, water for the cat (or in any other order) - and go to work ... Everything is automatic and without hesitation. As long as cold water flows from the cold water tap, and hot water flows from the hot water. And sometimes you open a cold one, and from there - boiling water!! 11#^*¿>.

Let's figure it out.

Cold water supply or cold water

The local pumping station supplies water to the main from the water utility network. A large supply pipe enters the house and ends with a valve, after which there is a water meter.

In short, the water meter assembly consists of two valves, a strainer and a meter.

Some have an additional check valve.

and water meter bypass.

The water meter bypass is an additional meter with valves that can feed the system if the main water meter is serviced. After the meters, water is supplied to the house main

where it is distributed along risers that lead water to apartments on floors.

What is the pressure in the system?

9 floors

Houses up to 9 floors high have bottom pouring from bottom to top. Those. from the water meter through a large pipe, water leaves through the risers to the 9th floor. If the vodokanal is in a good mood, then at the input of the lower zone there should be approximately 4 kg/cm2. Given a pressure drop of one kilogram, for every 10 meters of water column, residents on the 9th floor will receive approximately 1 kg of pressure, which is considered normal. In practice, in old houses, the input pressure is only 3.6 kg. And the inhabitants of the 9th floor are content with even less pressure than 1kg / cm2

12-20 floors

If the house is higher than 9 floors, for example 16 floors, then such a system is divided into 2 zones. Upper and lower. Where the same conditions remain for the lower zone, and for the upper zone the pressure is raised to about 6 kg. In order to raise the water to the very top into the supply line, and with it the water rises up to the 10th floor. In houses above 20 floors, the water supply can be divided into 3 zones. With such a supply scheme, the water in the system does not circulate, it stands on a backwater. In a high-rise apartment, on average, we get pressure from 1 to 4 kg. There are other values, but we will not consider them now.

Hot water supply or DHW

In some low-rise buildings, hot water is connected in the same way, it stands on a backwater without circulation, which explains the fact that when you open a hot water tap, cold, cooled water flows for some time. If we take the same house with 16 floors, then in such a house the hot water system is arranged differently. Hot water, like cold water, is also supplied to the house through a large pipe, and after the meter it goes to the house main

which raises the water to the attic where it is distributed along the risers and descends to the very bottom into the return line. By the way, hot water meters count not only the volume of lost (consumed) water in the house. These counters also count the temperature loss (hygocalories)

The temperature is lost when water passes through apartment heated towel rails, which play the role of risers.

With this scheme, hot water always circulates. As soon as you turn on the faucet, hot water is already there. The pressure in such a system is approximately 6-7 kg. on the supply and slightly lower on the return to ensure circulation.

Due to circulation, we get pressure in the riser, in the apartment 5-6 kg. and immediately we see the difference in pressure between cold and hot water, from 2 kg. This is precisely the essence of squeezing hot water into cold water in the event of a malfunction of plumbing fixtures. If you notice that you still have more pressure on hot water than on cold water, then be sure to install a check valve at the cold inlet, and control valves can be included in the hot water inlet, which will help equalize the pressure by about one digit with cold. Pressure regulator installation example