Effect of Cold-Water Storage Cisterns on Drinking-Water Quality
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 137, Issue 5
Abstract
Nearly all water supply systems for high-rise buildings in Egypt include storage cisterns to feed the upper floors with cold water for different uses. Although these cisterns are the most important component in the distribution system, they are generally the least understood in terms of their effect on water quality. In this study, chlorine residual, algae genus and concentration, and pH value were measured before and after storage cisterns that exist above a 12-floor building in Assiut City, Egypt, to check their effect on water potability, through 48 h of observation. EPANET quality model is applied to simulate the chlorine residual and water age in the distribution system and storage cisterns through extended period simulations. The model is used to study the influence of the storage cisterns size and the turnover depth on residual chlorine decay and water age in the tanks. Results indicated that oversized storage cisterns can have negative impacts on water quality, including increased water age, reduced disinfectant residuals, and increased growth of disinfectant by-products (DBPs). However, there are other key roles that storage plays in the distribution system, e.g., security of supply during supply interruption and reserve storage for firefighting. Some of the microbiological and chemical effects of the cisterns on water quality have been investigated.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to Mrs. Eltawel S., chemist at Sanitary Engineering Laboratory, Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, for her help and kind cooperation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 137 • Issue 5 • September 2011
Pages: 448 - 455
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 10, 2010
Accepted: Oct 18, 2010
Published online: Oct 18, 2010
Published in print: Sep 1, 2011
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