ARC1104: Introduction to services

No. Utility Services Sources Processes Key considerations for use in buildings
1 Water supply Surface water Treatment Net demand for domestic, office, recreational, etc.
 River intake For domestic use in developing countries:
 Reservoirs for direct supply, Screening – to remove the big suspended Usage in hot climates lcd %
indirect gravity or pumped solids Sanitation 25 17
inflow Drinking, food preparation and 12 8
 Tanks fed by collected Sedimentation – reduce the velocity of cooking
rainfall water so as to permit suspended solids Dish-washing, cleaning house 12 8
settle out of the water by gravity. etc
Groundwater Ablution by showers and 60 40
 Springs Chemically assisted sedimentation – running taps
 Wells and boreholes coagulation or flocculation – chemicals Clothes washing 30 20
 Adits and galleries (alum – aluminium sulphates, sodium Miscellaneous: yard washing, 11 7
 River abstraction aluminate, etc) are added to water to form a car cleaning, plant watering etc
guaranteed by groundwater precipitate which coalesces or coagulates Totals 150 100
regulation pumping and forms a floc. This can then sediment. Source: Twort and Crowley
 Reservoir fed by Significance of various substances in raw water
groundwater pumping Filtration – through sand or other material
 Minerals affecting the acidity or alkalinity, e.g.
 Riverside collector wells lead, copper, sulphates, etc
Hardness removal- remove calcium and
 Artificial recharge  Suspended and dissolved solids in water e.g.
magnesium salts – using calcium hydroxide
 Storage in river bed sands clay and silt.
 Water microbiology – bacteria, virus, worms,
Aeration – to increase the dissolved oxygen
Water reclamation
content, reduce tastes and odours, decrease
 Desalination and blending Water quality standards – for use in buildings.
the carbon dioxide content and raise its pH.
 Reuse of treated effluent  World Health Organisation (WHO) provides the
 Bulk supply from adjacent minimum water quality standards
Chlorinate
undertaking
Cost and sustainability
 Gravity schemes versus pumped water
schemes
 Length and quality of network and appliances
 Number of users
2 Drainage Toilets Separate oil from other types of effluent Quantity of materials to treat
Wash hand basins Separate solid from liquids?
Kitchen sinks On site treatment or off site treatment Quality of effluent
Taps and appliances  Septic tanks –with soak away pits and  Microbiology
Laboratories and workplaces agricultural drains  Smell
Rain water  Aqua privies  Unsightly
1
  Pit latrines  Colour
 Ecosan systems,  Toxicity
 Bucket toilets, etc
Cost and sustainability
Offsite treatment  Gravity schemes versus pumped waste water
 Public sewer lines – waste water schemes
treatment plants  Length and quality of network and appliances
 Lagoons – primary, secondary and  Number of users
tertiary
3 Refuse handling Kitchen Separation at source  Avoid smells
Compound Transportation to collection point  Cost and sustainability. Facilitate Reuse,
Trash Disposal or res-use or recycle recycle or Reduce
Conversion into other forms of energy/mass  Handling and transportation
 Manure  Number of users
 Gasification
 Briquettes
 Biogas
4 Electricity supply Hydro Generation Cost and sustainability
Mini and Pico hydro Conversion/stepping  Initial cost and operational cost
Solar  Length and quality of network and appliances
Gasification Evacuation  Accessibility of technology
Generators Distribution  Number of users
- Bio diesel and Petroleum Storage
Geo thermal
Wind
Ocean currents
5 Telecommunication Mobile telecommunications or Receive and send messages in various Cost and sustainability
Fixed line communications forms:  Initial cost and operational cost
Inter and intra systems  Fax  Length and quality of network and appliances
 E-mail  Accessibility of technology
 Telephone  Number of users
 Tele conferencing, etc
6 Gas supply Natural gas Storage Cost and sustainability
Biogas (by product of Purification  Initial cost and operational cost
decomposing materials) Distribution  Accessibility of technology
Cracking rock Utilization in heating  Convenience to the users
 Number of users
7 Mechanical Lifts Pulley systems Cost and sustainability
conveyance Escalators Lifting or pulling systems  Initial cost and operational cost
Conveyors Safety systems  Accessibility of technology
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 Cable cars  Convenience to the users
 Number of users
8 Fire services Detection Fire detection Cost and sustainability
Suppression Heat detection Materials that are housed
Fighting Smoke detection Volume of building area
Spraying Maintenance of system
Recharging Proximity of other services e.g. water hydrants
Climatic services
1 Heating Utilizing different forms of Storage Cost and sustainability
energy Distribution  Initial cost and operational cost
 Electricity Heating  Length and quality of network and appliances
 Gas  Accessibility of technology
 Geothermal Hot water services  Convenience to the users
 Solar  Possibility of pollution
 Biomass, etc. Natural heating – heat capacity of materials,
colour and finish, orientation of building,
hours of sunshine,
2 Lighting Utilizing different forms of Energy conversion Cost and sustainability
energy Storage  Initial cost and operational cost
 Electricity Distribution  Accessibility of technology
 Gas Lighting  Convenience to the users
 Geothermal Natural lighting – region of the world,  Possibility of pollution
 Solar location and size of openings, reflective
 Petroleum products, etc. capacity of materials, colour and finish,
orientation of building, hours of sunshine,
3 Natural or Natural flow Natural flow Cost and sustainability
mechanical Mechanical ventilation – - Warm air is lighter and moves up to be  Initial cost and operational cost
ventilation blowing air in or out of the replaced.  Accessibility of technology
building Mechanical flow  Convenience to the users
- Pumping creates zones of low pressure.  Possibility of pollution
Air from high pressure areas comes to
fill in the low pressure areas.
4 Full air conditioning Air conditioners Cooling/ heating, air circulation, humidity Cost and sustainability
control  Initial cost and operational cost
 Accessibility of technology
 Enclosed temperature and humidity
 Convenience to the users

Henry Alinaitwe (PhD)