INTAKES:

(a) Introduction:
The basic function of an intake structure is to help in safely withdrawing water from the source
over a predetermined range of pool levels and then to discharge this water into the withdrawal
conduit, through which it flows up-to the water treatment plant.
(b) Factors governing the location of an intake:
The intake site should be selected carefully keeping in mind the following points;-
(i) As far as possible the site should be near the treatment plant in order to minimize cost of
conveying the water.
(ii) It should be located in the purer zones of the source in order to obtain high quality water.
(iii) It should never be located downstream or in the vicinity of the point of disposal of waste
water.
(iv) It should never be located near a navigation channel so that the water does not get polluted
from refuse discharge or waste from ships.
(v) The site should be such that greater withdrawal of water is possible if required at a future
date.
(vi) The site should be such that it can draw water even during the driest period of the year.
(vii) The intake site should remain easily accessible during the floods and should not get
flooded.
(viii) In meadering rivers, the intake should not be placed on curves or on sharp bends.

(c) Types of Intakes:

These include;
(i) Submerged intakes
A simple submerged intake consists of a simple concrete block (Fig.1) or a rock filled
timber crib (Fig.2) supporting the starting end of the withdrawal pipe. This pipe conveys the
water to the shore where it is pumped.
The intake opening is generally covered by screen so as to prevent the entry of debris e.t.c.
into the withdrawal conduit. In case of lakes where silt tends to settle down, the intake opening is
generally kept at about 2 to 2.5 m above the bottom of the lake.
Pump located
above HFL To treatment plant
Bar screen (such as
12mm×50mmφ steel
bars at 15mm c/c HWL

Suction pipe

Sump well
Strainer

Concrete block Withdrawal

conduit

Fig. 1: Concrete block Submerged intake

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 Submerged intakes are cheap and generally do not obstruct navigation. They are generally
used for small water supply projects drawing water from the stream or lake having relatively
little change in water surface elevation throughout the year. Their main disadvantage is that they
are nor easily accessible for cleaning and repairing e.t.c.
Pump located
above HFL To treatment plant
Bar screen (such as
12mm×50mmφ steel
bars at 15mm c/c HWL

Suction pipe

Sump well
Strainer

Withdrawal
Timber Rockfill conduit

Fig. 2: Rockfilled Timber Crib-submerged intake

(ii) Intake towers

These are generally used on large projects and on rivers or reservoirs where there are large
fluctuations of water levels. Gate controlled openings at various levels, called ports are generally
provided in these concrete towers which may help in regulating the flow through the tower and
permit some selection of the quality of water to be withdrawn. Access to these towers is
generally provided for operating the gates, e.t.c by means of a foot bridge from the tower up to
the dam.
There are two types of intake towers;
(a) Wet intake towers:
These consist of concrete circular shells filled with water up to the reservoir level and have a
vertical inside shaft which is connected to the withdrawal pipe (Fig. 3). The withdrawal conduits
may lie over the bed of the rivers or may be in the form of tunnels below the river bed.
Openings are made into the outer concrete shell as well as into the inside shaft. Gates are
usually placed on the shaft so as to control the flow of water into the shaft and up the withdrawal
conduit. Water coming out of the withdrawal conduit may be taken to pump house for pumping,
if the city’s water treatment plant is located at high elevation or may be taken by gravity to the
treatment plant, if situated at a lower elevation.
(b) Dry intake towers:
The essential difference between a dry intake tower and a wet intake tower is that whereas in
a wet intake tower, the water enters from the entry ports in the tower and then enters into the
conduit pipe through separate controlled openings; in a dry intake tower, water is directly drawn
into the withdrawal conduit through the gated entry ports as shown in Fig. 4.
A dry intake tower will therefore have no water inside the tower if its gates are closed
whereas the wet intake tower will be full of water even if its gates are closed.
When the entry ports are closed, a dry intake tower will be subjected to additional buoyant
forces and hence must be of heavier construction than the wet intake towers. However, the dry
intake towers are useful and beneficial in the sense that water can be drawn from any selected
level of the reservoir by opening the ports at that level.

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 Gang way
Control room

Water level

Controlled Cylinder gate

Entry ports

Withdrawal conduit

Fig.3: Wet intake towers

Intake towers are huge structures of various designs standing in the river and hence should
be located so as not to interfere with navigation. They must be designed to withstand the worst
possible combination of various forces, such as hydrostatic pressure, wind and earthquake forces,
forces caused by waves, debris, water erosion, e.t.c.

Gang way
Control room

Water level

Controlled Cylinder gate

Entry ports

Withdrawal conduit

Fig.4: Dry intake towers

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(iii) Medium Sized River Intake structures:
These are generally constructed for withdrawing water from almost all rivers and are
midway between submerged intakes (adopted for small streams) and intake towers (adopted for
reservoirs).
River intakes can be broadly classified into two types;-
1. Twin well type of intake structure
2. Single well type of intake structure.
• Twin well types of river intake structure:
This is the most common type of river intake. The intake is constructed close to a river bank
on non - aluvial rivers. In meandering aluvial rivers, a weir is first constructed across the river for
storing water up to the pond level, thus making it available near the river bank on the
undersluice side.
The structure consists of an inlet well; an inlet pipe and a jack (or sump) well.The inlet well
(or collector well) is a circular or more preferably an oblong well (rectangular well with circular
ends) located in the river bed, somewhat away from the river bank, amidst water, so that it
always remains surrounded with water even during low flow stage. The well is built in masonry
or concrete and is raised above the river HFL and made approachable from the river bank
through a footbridge arrangement.
River water enters into the well through the openings or ports, which are provided in the
well steining and fitted with vertical bar screens. The screens may be made of vertical iron bars
of 20mm diameter placed vertically at 30 to 50mm horizontal clear spacing and fitted to an angle
iron frame fitted in the opening. The area of such an opening may be worked out by restricting
the flow velocity through the screens to about 15 to 20cm/s so as to prevent forceful entry of
debris e.t.c.
The total area of openings can be provided by using one or more screened openings at one
level. Such openings are infact provided at 2 or 3 levels in a well, thus providing one or more
ports at each level depending on pumping e.t.c. The lower layers of ports permit the direct entry
of water at the lower stage of the river; while the upper layer of ports meet the requirement of the
high flood stage.
The middle level ports are usually provided in rivers with fluctuating levels at the normal
river level. Sometimes, screened openings are provided in the full height of the inlet well and are
controlled by gates, so as to enable water to enter the well from any desired level, depending
upon the river water level. This may be adopted when the river level is likely to fluctuate
considerably.
The intake well is connected to the jack well (sump well) which is constructed on the river
bank by a RCC intake pipe. The section of the intake well below the level of the intake pipe
helps to provide space for accumulation of silt and sediment. This depth may be kept at about 1
to 3m or so. The deposited silt will have to be removed mechanically or manually to keep the
intake pipe free of silt. The intake well thus helps to keep away silt and debris from the intake
pipe and sump well.
The intake pipe connecting the intake well with the jack well is usually of a non – pressure
type, and is laid with a gentle slope of 1 in 200 or so, towards the jack well. The diameter of the
pipe depends upon its discharge capacity. The pipe size should be such that the flow velocity
does not exceed about 1.2m / s .The diameter of the pipe should however not be less than 45cm
since smaller pipes may be chocked and become difficult to clean. The pipe is designed as a
gravity main, since water on both ends of this pipe will be under atmospheric pressure.

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 To treatment
Pump room plant

Control room
River
water level Suction pipe
Foot bridge
Suction pipe

LWL Fine screen

Strainer

Withdrawal conduit Sump well

Bar screen or
1 to 3m
Intake well silt zone Jack well

Fig.5: Typical twin well river intale

Water entering the jack well (sump well) from the intake pipe is lifted by pumps and is fed
into the rising mains through the delivery pipe of the pump. Suitable high – head turbine pumps
or cenrifugal pumps may be used to pump the water. Usually, a minimum of 2 pumps may be
installed in parallel to feed to a common outlet of the rising mains. For installing turbine pumps,
the bottom of the sump well should be kept at about 3.5m below the lowest water level in the
well to accomodate the pump bowl assembly, suction pipes and strainers, and to allow for silt
pocket.
For centrifugal pumps, this depth may be kept at only about 2m or so. When centrifugal
pumps are used, the static suction head in centrifugal pumps should be limited to 4m to permit
pumping at high efficiency and in no case exceed 6m.
• Single well type of river intake:
In alluvial rivers, water is usually ponded up by constructing a weir across the river. From
the upstream side of such a weir, a channel may be constructed, as usual in diversion head works.
Water entering the offtake canal may then be collected and pumped to the treatment works.
Use of single well eliminates the need to construct a separate inlet well and the inlet pipe as
are required in twin well type of river intake. Openings or ports fitted with bar screens are
provided in the jack well itself, rather than in the inlet well. The sediments entering this intake is
less, since clearer water will enter the off-take channe. The jack well can periodically be cleaned
manually, by stopping water entry into the well. A typical detail for a single well type of a river
intake is shown in Fig. 6.
The arrangement will eliminate the construction of a separate inlet well and the inlet
pipe opening (pouts) fitted with bar screens are provided in the jack well itself.

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 To treatment
plant

HIgh.F.L.

Normal.W.L.

Suction pipe
Min.W.L.

Strainer
Suction pipe

Fig.6: Typical Single well river intale

(iv) Intakes for sluice ways of dams:

• Valve tower for earthen dams:
This is located near the upstream toe of the dam as shown in Fig. 7. Intake conduits
are located at different levels from which the desired water quality can be drawn by use
of valves located at the control room.

Control room Fooot bridge

HIgh.F.L.

Normal.W.L. Intake well or tower

Intake conduits

Min.W.L.

Withdrawal conduit

Fig.7: Valve tower located at upstream of an earthen Dam

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 • Valve tower for concrete dams:
In the case of concrete dams, the valve tower is generally located inside the body of
the dam.

(v) Canal Intakes:

These are generally located in the bank of the canal. Water enters the intake well through
a coarse screen, the top of which is provided at minimum water level in the canal and the
bottom is about 0.15m above canal bed to avoid entry of bed loads (Fig. 8).
An additional fine screen is provided at the inlet end of the withdrawal conduit. The inlet
end is of bell mouth shape with perforations of fine screen on its surface. An outlet valve,
operating from the top is provided to control the entry of water into the outlet valve.
Velocity of flow through the outlet conduit is generally kept at about 1.5m/s, and this is
used in the determination of the area and diameter of the withdrawal conduit.
The area of the screen is designed by limiting the flow velocity to as low as 0.15m/s or so.
The flow velocity through the bell mouth inlet id limited to about 0.3m/s or so. The head loss
in the intake conduit up to treatment works can e determined by using Hazen – William
formula.

Control room
Footbridge

F.S.L .
Intake well
Nomal W.L.in Rectangular
well Right
canal embankment
Min.W.L. of canal
Bell mouth inlet
(fine screen)

Coarse screen Concrete support

Valve
Fig.8: Canal intale well

Example: Design a bell mouth canal intake for a town with a population of 75,000 persons,
drawing water from a canal which runs for 10 hours a day with a depth of 1.5m. Also
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calculate the head loss in the intake conduit if treatment works are km away. Draw a neat
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sketch of the designed canal intake. Assume an average water consumption rate of 150l/c/d.
Take velocity of flow through screens and bell mouth to be less than 0.16m/s and 0.32m/s
respectively.

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Solution:
Discharge required for the town
= 150 × 75000l / d
= 1.125 ×106 l / d
Since the canal runs for 10 hours per day, this whole daily flow is supplied in 10 hours
∴ Intake load per hour
1.125 × 106 0.1125 ×106 3
= Ml / hr = m / hr
10 10 × 103
0.1125 ×103 3
= m / s = 0.3125m3 / s
10 × 60 × 60

Design of coarse screen
Area of coarse screen (may be made as vertical iron bars of 20mm dia. at 30mm to 50mm
centers
Discharge entering well through coarse screen ( m3 /s )
=
Velocity through screen ( m/s )
Maximum velocity through screen = 0.16m/s
∴ Minimum area of screen required
0.3125
= = 1.95m2
0.16
Height of screen provided = 1.5 − 0.15 − 0.3 = 1.05m
(Assuming minimum water level in the canal to be 0.3m below FSL)
∴ Minimum length of screen (openings) required
1.95m2
= = 1.86m
1.05m
Assuming the clear opening width between vertical bars to be 30mm (0.03m) each, we have
1.86
Number of openings = = 62
0.03
∴ No of bars = 61
Length occupied by bars is 20mm diameter = 61× 0.02 = 1.22m
Total length of screen = 1.86 + 1.22 = 3.08m, say 3.1m
Hence provide 3.1m length of coarse screen of height 1.05m in the rectangular intake well as
shown in Fig 9.

Design of a bell mouth entry

Area of bell mouth entry
Discharge
=
Velocity through the bell mouth
0.3125
= = 0.98m2
0.32
If d is the diameter of the bell mouth entry, then
π
d 2 = 0.98
4
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or d = 1.12 say 1.2m
Hence provide 1.2m diameter bell mouth with perforations for fine screen.

Design of the intake conduit

Assume velocity of flow in conduit as 1.5m/s
Area of conduit required
Discharge
=
Velocity
0.3125
= = 0.208m2
1.5
Diameter of pipe D is given by
π
D 2 = 0.208
4
or D = 0.515 say 0.5m
Thus use a 0.5m diameter conduit.
Velocity of flow through the pipe
0.3125
= 2
= 1.59m / s
π
4 ( 0.5 )
Head loss through conduit up to treatment works is calculated using Hazen-Williams formula
v = 0.85C H ⋅ R 0.63 ⋅ S 0.54
Where; CH = Coefficient of pipe material = 130 for cast iron pipe (from design tables)
R = Hydraulic mean depth of pipe
π
= (for pipe running full)
4
0.5
= = 0.125m
4
v = Flow velocity through the pipe = 1.59m / s
S = Slope of the energy line
0.63
∴ 1.59 = 0.85 × 130 × ( 0.125 ) ⋅ S 0.54
Or S = 4.4 ×10−3
H head loss
Now S = L =
L length of pipe

1 
∴ ∴ H L = L ⋅ S =  × 1000  × 4.4 × 10−3 = 1.1025m
4 
A detailed sketch of the canal is as shown below.

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 Control room
Footbridge

Intake well
F.S.L .or Nomal Rectangular
well Right
W.L.in canal
0.3m

embankment
1.2m φ of canal
Min.W.L.
1.5m
0.15m

Bell mouth inlet

(fine screen)

0.5m φ
Coarse screen Concrete support
1.05m ht3.1m
long ⊥ to paper Fig.9: Canal intale well

Exercise:

1. Outline the factor which govern the location of an intake structure on a water source
2. With the aid of sketches, discuss various types of intakes
(a) Differentiate between dry and wet intake towers
(b) Draw a valve tower constructed in gravity and earthen dams.
3. With the aid of sketches, describe the following types of intakes
(a) Simple sub-merged intake
(b) Dry intake tower
(c) An intake well for a canal
(d) Valve tower standing within an earthen dam
(e) A typical river intake.

Example 2: Using the information provided, design a river intake with respect to;
(a) Number and size of openings in the intake well.
(b) The size, shape and height of intake well
(c) The gravity pipe for raw water connecting the intake well and jack (sump) well
Information:
R.L of river bed = 100m
R.L of lowest water level = 102m
R.L of normal water level = 115m
R.L of high flood level = 120m
Population to be served = 50,000
Average per capita water demand = 200l/d
Assume any other relevant information.

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Solution:
Average water demand to be pumped
= 50000 × 200l / d = 10M l / d
Maximum water demanded = 1.8 ∴10 = 18Ml / d
Assume the pumping is done for 16 hours a day, the discharge to be pumped
18 × 106
=
103 × 16 × 60 × 60
= 0.3125m3 / s

Design of inlet well (Rectangular with ends rounded)
Provide an oblong shaped inlet well with, with openings (pouts) provided at 3 levels
- One later of opening is kept below R.L 102.0m (lowest river level)
- Other layers of openings is kept below HFL Stage i.e. below R.L 120m
- Middle layer port is kept below normal river water level of R.L 15 m
These openings are fitted with bar screens made of 20mm diameter steel bars at 50mm clear
spacing.
Let velocity through bar screens be limited to 0.16m/s.
∴ Area of openings required at each level
Q 0.3125
= = = 1.95m2
v 0.16
Provide 1m height of screen openings. Then the clear length of openings required = 1.95m
1.96
Number of openings required = = 39
0.05
Number of bars = 38
Length occupied by 20mm diameter of bar = 38 × 0.02 = 0.76m
Total length of screen = 1.95 + 0.76 = 2.71m
Say 2.8m
Provide 2 ports at each level. Size of each port will then be 1m height × 1.4m length. In all,
there will be 6 screened ports, with 2 at each of the three levels. 2 screened ports will be
provided within the well staining between R.L 102m to 101m each having 1.4m length. 2
other screened ports are provided at between R.L 115m to 114m and 2 others between R.L
120m to 119m.
Above ports can be fitted in an oblong well, consisting of rectangular length of 3m (Sufficient
to fix 2 bar screens each of length 1.4m) and provided with circular ends. Allow 2m width of
well.
The inlet well can be sunk into the river bed by say 3m below the river bed, so as to provide
space for accumulation of sand and silt. Hence keep the bottom of inlet well at R.L 97m.
Also provide a free board of 2m over the river HFL to fix the bottom level of the roof of the
well. Hence provide an inlet level of roof at FL 122m. Height of inlet will then be 122m –
97m = 25m.

Design of gravity pipe connecting the intake well and jack well.
Intake pipe is designed for gravity flow at a maximum velocity say 1.2m/s.
Q = 0.3125m3 / s and v = 1.2m / s

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 π Q 0.3125
Area of pipe required d2 =
=
4 V 1.2
∴ d = 0.58m; Hence use 60cm diameter.
RCC intake pipe giving a velocity of
0.3125
2
= 1.1m / s
4 ( 0.6 )
π

Using Manning’s formula

1 2 1
v = R 3S 2
n
2
1  0.6  3 12
1.1 =   .S
0.017  4 
 A π4d2 π 
∵ R = = = 
 ρ πd 4
1
or S= , say 1 in 200
220
Hence lay 0.6m diameter intake pipe at a gradient of 1 in 200.
Details of the designed intake are as shown in Fig. 10.

Roof
RL.122

H.F.L. RL 120
1m
Normal
RL.115
1m

LowW.L
RL.102 To sump well
1m
River Bed 2m
RL.100
1m 1m RL.97

FRONT VIEW END VIEW

To sump well
60cmφ pipe

River width 2m River Flow

1m 3m 1m

PLAN Fig. 10: Designed canal intale well

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