A complex network of pipes, pumps, valves and tanks works together to convey water to your house. So how does it work?

Pipes are highways for water. Bigger pipes near the source are like interstates. Smaller pipes are like back roads. Bigger pipes typically carry more water and smaller pipes carry less water. Pipes are sized using engineering equations to deliver the right amount of flow and pressure. If there isn’t enough flow, hydrants may not work. Insufficient pressure could lead to water outages.

Pumps are used when water needs to be lifted up into a development or tall building or storage tank. Think of pumps as elevators or escalators for water.

Valves are just like the knobs on your sink at home. Only ours are way bigger. And they’re buried. The valves in the pipe network are used to control flow, just like on your sink.

Tanks are used to store water. Water sources are designed to pump a certain amount of water every day. Once in a while the network needs a lot more water than the system can provide. Tanks provide extra water for fires or other peak flow needs. Tanks are an important part of a community’s fire protection system.

Hydrants are used by firefighters to deliver a lot of water to a location in a hurry. The water that comes out of hydrants is the same water that goes to your house. Sometimes utilities use hydrants to “flush” the system. Flushing a hydrant brings in fresher water. It also gives an opportunity to test the hydrants’ flow and pressure to be sure they are working properly.

Sometimes pipes break. Sometimes water flies out of the ground like a geyser. Other times the leak is slow and can go unnoticed for months. Once the leak is found, valves are used to control the flow. Excavators dig up the broken pipe. The damaged pipe is cut out and a new pipe is cut to length and inserted into the line. Clamps are used to hold the new pipe in place. Then the hole is filled in and the section of the road is repaved.

The cost to replace or install new water pipe ranges between $100 and $150 per foot depending on where the pipe is located, the size of the pipe, whether or not the pipe has to be installed in solid rock (blasting), and the type of pipe material used. A mile is 5,280 feet. Assuming $100 per foot, it’s about $528,000 to install a mile of pipe. Fortunately, pipe can last over 100 years so it’s a great investment.

It’s quite a system. Water that you can drink, use to fill a pool, wash a dog or put out a structural fire delivered efficiently through a complex network of pipes, pumps and tanks. What you do with it is your business. Getting it to you is ours. Enjoy!