The Public Water System Distribution System

The Public Water System Distribution System – The public water system must be mindful of the water quality from the source to the driver of the water to the customer. As potable water is transported from the treatment facility to the users, opportunities exist within the distribution system of a public water system for unwanted substances to cause the water to become contaminated or polluted. A great deal of effort is placed on protecting the source water, optimizing the treatment process which would include operating the system with qualified staff and, maintaining the distribution system. Public water systems are responsible for ensuring that water delivered to the consumer does not exceed the standards under the purviews of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The public water systems are for the most part delivering water to the customer that is safe to drink with one exception and that is controlling cross-connections.

The public water system should be designed to meet the system demands providing adequate pressure throughout the distribution system.  There shall be no direct connection to a non-potable auxiliary water source.  Private well shall have separate piping systems and shall not be connected to the public water system.  Fire hydrants with weep holes are a hazard and filling hydrants riser with antifreeze solutions should be prohibited. There shall be no open finished water reservoirs and water storage tanks shall be properly maintained to prevent contamination. Interconnection with other public water system shall be closely monitored.   Large quantities of water may escape and pressures in the distribution system may drop to dangerous levels when water main breaks occur.  Water main breaks should be repaired immediately. The loss of pressure in the distribution may become a public health issue due to unprotected cross-connections. Once the water main break is repaired precautions should be taken in flushing of the water because this may also create a negative pressure condition in the distribution system. Cross-connection incidents should be investigated during and after the water main break occurrence. Monitoring pressure in the distribution system during a firefighting episode is a precautionary measure in preventing a public health threat.