What Is Water Pressure?
Water pressure is a measure of the force that
pushes the water through our mains and into
your pipes. It is measured in pounds per square
inch (psi). We need a certain pressure to send
the water through our pipes and into your homes
and businesses.
How Much Pressure Should I Have?
Why Is Water Pressure Important?
The amount of pressure at your tap is affected
mostly by the location of your home and its
elevation. If your home is located at the top of a
hill it may be lower than the pressure for a home
located at the bottom of a hill.
Did you know that water pressure and flow reliability
impact a homeowners insurance rates? Each city
receives a safety rating based on several factors, fire
protection and water reliability are among these
factors. The city of Columbus, GA is rated at a level 2.
The levels range from 10 to 1; 1 being the best. There
are only 20 cities in Georgia rated at a level 2, none
are rated level 1.
Columbus Water Works (CWW) closely monitors
our water pressure throughout the system to
ensure our customers have adequate water
pressure to meet their needs. According to the
Environmental Protection Division, the minimum
level of water pressure required to meet public
safety and customer needs is set at 20 psi at each
service connection, at all times.
Water Pressure Trivia!
Understanding Water Flow
Water flow is the amount of water you receive
and depends on pressure and the size of the
pipe connecting your home to our water mains.
Higher pressure and larger pipes produce higher
flows.
In Columbus, the water pipes connecting your
home to our mains are referred to as laterals or
service lines. These lines are usually 5/8-inches
in diameter. Generally, pipes this size provide
between 3 and 10 gallons per minute, depending
on your water pressure.
Why are water tanks on high ground?
An areas water pressure will increase
by 1 psi for every 2.31 feet of elevation.
Maintaining a high level of water pressure
throughout the system can be difficult in certain
areas because of the hilly grounds we enjoy in the
community. CWW uses water tanks and water
pump stations to help increase pressure in areas
that are at low elevations, requiring more force to
send water to your home or business.
Consistent water flow and pressure are important to
public safety because firefighters use fire hydrants as
a means of putting out dangerous fires. Fire hydrants
require significant water flow and strong pressure to
propel enough water at a burning home or building to
put out the fire and prevent it from spreading.
CWW works closely with the Columbus Fire
Department to ensure that our water system maintains
proper pressure and flow for our Firefighters to help
protect our community.
Technology Helps Maintain Pressure
Columbus Water Works uses technology to help
ensure our water system maintains adequate
water pressure to protect the community and
to provide residents with satisfactory water
pressure to meet their personal needs.
Our Engineering Department uses Hydraulic
Modeling to calculate how changes to the
system will impact the water pressure.
For example, if a new subdivision is being built,
we will gather information about the proposed
building area such as ground level, current
water pressure, and number of connections to
the system for the area.
We then run this information through our
modeling system. The system helps us to
calculate the water pressure levels and what
modifications may need to be incorporated to
ensure fire hydrants and homes have adequate
water pressure.
This program is also used when we are working
on replacing water lines that are old and/or
unable to meet the growing community’s water
pressure needs.
Balancing water pressure and flow is an ongoing
challenge that we strive to meet continuously
for our customers.
Columbus Water Works
Among State’s Best Water Utilities
Georgia Association of Water Professionals
presented both of our water treatment plants
with Plant of the Year! In addition to the very
prestigious Plant of the Year Awards, Columbus
Water Works is proud to say that in over 100
years of providing the community with safe
drinking water, we have never had a drinking
water violation!
All About
Wat e r P re s s u re !
To read more about the awards please visit:
www.cwwga.org
More than just water!
Want to know more about your water utility?
Visit www.cwwga.org and subscribe to our blog for
email updates each time we post.
1421 Veterans Parkway
Columbus, GA 31901
Customer Service (706) 649-3410
General Information (706) 649-3400
Automated Account Information 1-855-748-1350
Or visit: www.cwwga.org
What is it?
How does it affect me?
Why is it important?