A water supply network is a system of hydraulic components that supplies water to a community. It consists of several stages, most of the time the main components are:
- raw water extraction from the source,
- water treatment/purification,
- water storage,
- water distribution to households,
- collection of surplus water and wastewater, and
- treatment of wastewater.
Water transportation from the source to the water treatment plant entails altimetric differences. For this reason, waterworks often use pumping stations to increase the water energy through higher pressure. The necessary water supply equipment for the pumping process to be successful includes, apart from the pumps, non-return valves (such as check valves), gate valves, butterfly valves, control valves (e.g. a pump protection valve) and air valves.
The next step includes the water treatment and the storage of the clean water. Water treatment includes the processes of clarification, filtration, and disinfection (e.g. via chlorine addition or UV light treatment). Then drinking water flows via pumping stations or through gravity to the storage and from there to the distribution network. To ensure the success of these processes, in particular, to allow for easy quality control by the specialized personnel, the use of different valves, such as gate valves or butterfly valves, as well as control valves is essential.
Although valves represent a smaller amount of cost compared to the large pipes used for transportation, their role is crucial in developing reliable water transport networks from water extraction to transmission. Hawle is committed to providing valve and fitting solutions for the development of sustainable water supply infrastructure.
