Water Line Sizing

[cher122976]

Hello,
We have a proposed contractor staging area in which we need a water supply for. Near the site is a 3" water service line to a single building (5000sf). What would be the requirements to tell if this line would be able to service our site (25000sf in building).
Thanks

 

[aepaul]

It would surprise me if any service line would be capable of serving 6 times the square footage that it was originally designed for.

You need to know whether the water service provider would consider allowing a connection to the existing service line. You also need to know what water demands the new building is going to have, what water demands the existing building has, the available pressure in the water system, the length of pipe to where the new service is going to be provided and then you need to be able to determine whether, with the friction losses and minor losses in the service line, you will be able to provide enough water at an adequate pressure. The International Plumbing Code is a decent reference for the pressure and flow rate demands for various standard fixtures.

Adam
Cramer Northwest, Inc
Kent, WA

 

[gerhardl]

Being a non native for the english language, I am not sure I have understood correctly: you have 3" pipeline to an existing building and want to supply water only during the building periode for your own (new) site?

Anyway, aepaul's answer gives the basics for calculations and considerations.

If you only need water for the building periode, you should check if your water outtake, if large, could be taken out over a longer periode when existing building outtake is low. For instance a water tank on the staging area filled during the night?

You cold also install an overflow valve at outtake from original pipeline, shutting down supply to your site if pressure in original pipelines drops under a certain level.

You also need to ensure that the ability to supply firewater for the existing building is caretaken (if the line also incorporates this), for instance by automatic shutdown of your line if firealarm is released..

Anyway your demand of amount of water have to be calculated both for thechnical purposes and for commercial negotiations, water costs and your supplier will want a compensation and ensurement of fullfilling his own demands.