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Water Practice & Technology © IWA Publishing 2008  |  doi:10.2166/wpt.2008.025

PRIVATE WATER STORAGE TANKS: EVALUATING THEIR INEFFICIENCIES

Ricardo Cobacho, Francisco Arregui, Enrique Cabrera and Enrique Cabrera Jr.

Institute for Water Technology. Polytechnic University of Valencia. Spain. Fax number: +34 96 387 98 99
Email: qcabrera@ita.upv.es

Private water storage tanks are often considered as very inefficient devices than can only be justified in systems that suffer frequent water service interruptions. This paper presents the results obtained after studying four different aspects of this question: the effect of this kind of tanks on water losses, unaccounted for water, time modulation curve and energy losses (other implications, such as those related to water quality deterioration, remain out of the scope of the study). Conclusions for each particular point will turn uneven, specially highlighting the effect on the meter global error and unregistered water. In any case, all four points, as well as several additional issues to be considered, are described and evaluated.

Keywords: Private storage tanks; water meter; error; water leakage; ufw

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