HYDRAULICCONSTRUCTION1:

THEDRAINAGESYSTEM

ENSTP Yaound,Cameroun
AprilMay2014

DRAINAGESYSTEM

Two different drainage systems:

Sewage drainage system
Drainage (or runoff) system

Treatment system/plan

Outfall (river.)

SEWAGEDRAINAGESYSTEM
Sewage drainage system is related to the spent water supply of a community.
To quantify the sewage that is or would be carried by the system, the current/expected
population and the probable per capita sewage contribution have to been known.
The general processes considered:
Design period. Leght of time over which the capacity of the sewer system will be
adequate
Population estimates. Estimation of the future population at the end of the period
Per capita sewage flow rate. The average per capita water consuption rate ranges
between 150-950 l/d
Infiltration. It is the water entering into the sewer system through defective joints
and structures. It is unavoidable and it depends on the lenght of sewers, topography,
soil types, quality of construction, etc.

RUNOFFDRAINAGESYSTEM
Storm and combined sewers are designed to collect and convey that portion of
precipitation which flows over the ground surface during and after the precipitation
event (called runoff).
Precipitation is variable

The rate of storm water runoff is extremely variable

and the value to be used in design is difficult to

Infiltration is variable

measure/determine.

It is not economically feasible constructing sewers of sufficient size to convey runoff

from extreme precipitation events which occur at large intervals of time.
The sewers are designed to do not convey the runoff for extreme events that occur with
large return period.

ALTIMETRICANDPLANIMETRICPLANOFDRAINAGESYSTEM
The main components of the drainage system are pipes.
The definition of pipe position from both altimetric and planimetric point of view is
one of the main problem in drainage system planification.

Drainage systems can be distinguished among three cases:

1. There is only the drain system. The drainage system plan is only for runoff water
2. There is only the sewage. Only the wastewater collected from houses and factories
is considered
3. The drain system and the sewage system are not separeted but work together.

WHATARETHEPROBLEMSINTHECASES1,2AND3?
1. Runoff water: we deal with large and significant flow rates and the flow rates can
vary significantly.
2. Sewage water: the flow rate is almost constant and easily estimable, because it
depends on the water supply. The problem rises because of sulphuric acid produced
by reaction between wastewater and pipe. Corrosion of pipe can occur.
3. The combination of runoff water and sewage water is difficult to plan and control
beacuse we have to deal both with variable flow rate and chemical problems.

DRAINAGESYSTEMSWITHDIFFERENTRECIPIENT
How drainage system outflows occurs
allows to distinguish different schemes:
Recipient level is lower than main
outflow. The system work by
gravity.
Recipient level is higher than main
outflow. Pump station is needed at
the end of the system.
In complex drainage system, a part
of total discharge can flow by
gravity and a part through pumps.

PLANIMETRICPLAN(1)
The pipes planimetry inside the city follows the roads and the streets.
The side of the street is choosen taking into account the houses disposition/density.
N.B.= To work in downtown may be difficult because we have to operate among
buildings, being careful to not damage them!

Usually the design of sewer or drainage system looks to supply the comunity for a midlong period of time (30-40 years).

The design of the drainage system must be integrated into the development plan of the
city.

PLANIMETRICPLAN(2)
Before outlet are planned some
artifact:
Screening

and

oil

water

separator for draining system

Treatment plant for sewer
system
N.B.= Pump station is planned
always as last artifact of the
system.

PLANIMETRICPLAN(3)
Advice to design a drainage system:
Pipes network has to reproduce and follow urban streets
The position of other services (e.g., phone, elettricity and gas lines) has to be taken
into account
The outfall/sewer outlet position has also to be taken into account
For sewage drainage system the possible position of the water treatment plan has to
be taken into account

N.B.= All drainage system should work by gravity, in order to reduce the economical
impact and the downtime frequency of pump station

ALTIMETRICPLAN(1)
The sewage drainage pipes have to be placed below the water distribution pipes.
The water distribution pipe has to be placed at 1.20 m below the surface.
The distance between the bottom of the water pipe and the top of sewer is 0.30 m.

ALTIMETRICPLAN(2)
Pipe should follow the slope of the surface.
When slope of the surface is steeper than pipe slope catch basin is used for both
intercepting runoff and balancing the difference between the two slope.

N.B.= The diameter D of the pipe between two catch basin has to be constant.
Along the flow direction D cannot decrease, so that the probability of obstructing the
sewer is small.

PIPESALIGNMENT
N.B.= The depth of the
pipe z should not go over
3.5 m.

The total depth in presence

of a pump station is almost
5.0 m (pumps need of 2.0
m).