Abstract:
As a joint interest, the metering of water consumption ensures low specific consumption of 80-150 l/capita day, values considered to be normal. Where the metering was delayed, the specific consumption increased even up to 500 l/capita day, thereby increasing pipeline flow Q and water velocity v, hydraulic loss hr, pumping heads H, powers P and energy E consumed by pumps. In areas of Eastern Europe where the water consumption metering was introduced, the specific consumptions of water decreased to normal levels and the values for Q, v, hr, H (e.g., from 58 m to 25 m), P and E accordingly decreased. H decreasing raised a new problem, namely the failure of the pumps adopted to operate at high H values, by operating at low H values. Other problems occurred at the draining pumping stations which were flooded and put out of operation even when pumping was strictly necessary. All these issues resulted in the original technical solutions, succinctly described in the paper.