Municipal Drinking-water Distribution System Design Handbook

BNQ 3660-001
Municipal Drinking-water Distribution System Design Handbook

This design handbook for municipal drinking-water distribution systems was drawn up bearing in mind lessons learned from the past, and current municipal concerns and needs, while also keeping in mind what the future might hold (such as future developments or risks from flooding). The handbook is intended for the design of new drinking-water systems, but also to modifications to or extensions of existing systems.

In this respect, several important principles guided the selection of themes addressed and the writing of the various chapters and clauses. These guiding principles are as follows:

• the preservation of natural resources and the environment;
• the need to maintain the integrity of buried infrastructure to ensure its sustainability;
• the preservation of the quality of distributed drinking water;
• consumer health protection;
• the elimination of hazards at source;
• the health and safety of operators;
• the integration of principles of sustainable development;
• the consideration of climate change concerns.

The design handbook was developed to assist engineers in the design of municipal drinking-water distribution systems. It provides calculation methods, general design elements (criteria, data, assumptions, and projections), and recommendations on the guiding principles and engineering project, components, instrumentation, and control.

It is recommended that the design of non-municipal drinking-water systems follow the principles outlined in this handbook, particularly when it is anticipated, or likely that these systems be subsequently transferred to a municipality or local authority and become public.