Water Supply Standards (India): CPHEEO and URDPFI – Exam Notes

Urban Water Supply & Quality

Compiled from URDPFI Guidelines, 2014CPHEEO Manual, 1999IS 10500:2012Indian Railways Works ManualMetcalf & Eddy (as cited)National Water Policy, 2012. For architecture & planning exam revision.

High-Yield Summary

• Per-capita supply (CPHEEO): Towns without sewerage 70 lpcd; Cities with sewerage 135 lpcd; Metros/Mega cities 150 lpcd. Public stand posts: 40 lpcd.
• Unaccounted-for Water (UFW) to be limited to 15% for new systems; includes physical and administrative losses.
• Service pressure at ferrule: one-storey 7 m; two-storey 12 m; three-storey 17 m (or per local byelaws).
• 24×7 grid supply recommended with metering for optimal utilisation.
• Fire-fighting demand: 100√P (P = forecast population; for P > 50,000). About ⅓ from service storage.
• Institutional water (l/h/d): Hospitals >100 beds 450/bed, ≤100 beds 340/bed; Hotels 180/bed; Hostels/Nurses/Boarding 135; Restaurants 70/seat; Day schools/Offices 45.
• Industrial water (kL per unit): Paper 200–400/t (special quality 400–1,000/t); Steel 200–250/t; Fertiliser 80–200/t; Petroleum refinery 1–2/t crude; Sugar 1–2/t; Textile 8–14/100 kg.
• Station uses (per day): Passengers 15 L each; Employees 455 L each; Apron 10 L/m²; Platforms 5 L/m²; Train cleaning 500 L/coach (platform) & 3,600 L/coach (washing); Watering 1,800 L/coach; Gardening 22,500 L/ha; Catering 45 L/passenger.
• District Metered Areas (DMA): typically 2,000–5,000 properties; meters sized for night & peak flows; read weekly.
• Drinking water (IS 10500): pH 6.5–8.5; Turbidity 1–5 NTU; TDS 500–2,000 mg/L (acceptable–permissible absent alternate source).
• Key ions: Fluoride 1.0–1.5 mg/L; Total hardness (as CaCO₃) 200–600 mg/L; Sulphate 200–400 mg/L (if Mg ≤30).
• Free residual chlorine: minimum 0.2 mg/L at consumer end (≥0.5 mg/L when viral protection required); up to 1 mg/L.
• WTP land (indicative): 5/10/50/100/200/500 MLD → 0.10/0.19/0.93/1.87/3.73/9.34 ha (+0.63 ha for staff quarters).
• Design periods (years): Dams 50; Infiltration 30; Pump house 30; Motors/pumps 15; Treatment units 15; Raw/Clear mains 30; Reservoirs 15; Distribution 30.
• Bacteriological: E. coli & Total coliforms—not detectable in any 100 mL sample (treated & in distribution).

MANIK Memory Tricks

• 70→135→150 lpcd → Towns (no sewer) → Cities (with sewer) → Metros/Mega.
• 7–12–17 m @ ferrule → Residual head for 1–2–3 storey areas (direct supply).
• 40 PSP; 15% UFW → Stand-post norm is 40 lpcd; keep new-system losses within 15%.
• 100√P; ⅓ storage → Fire-fighting demand; one-third should come from service storage.
• 5→10→50→100→200→500 MLD = 0.10→0.19→0.93→1.87→3.73→9.34 ha → Quick WTP land lookup (+0.63 ha staff).
• pH 6.5–8.5; TDS 500–2,000; NTU 1–5 → Core organoleptic triplet.
• F 1.0–1.5; Hardness 200–600; SO₄ 200–400* → *If Mg ≤30 mg/L.
• Chlorine ≥0.2 (≥0.5 if viral) → Free residual at the consumer end; up to 1 mg/L.
• 50–30–15 rule → Design periods: long-life civil up to 50/30; E&M typically 15.
• Station 15/455; Coach 500/3600/1800 → Per passenger/employee; clean/wash/water per coach.

Key Tables & Look-ups

Units kept consistent with source. Recheck locally applicable byelaws when designing.

Water Supply Standards (CPHEEO)

S. No.	Classification	Max water supply (lpcd)
1	Towns with piped supply, no sewerage	70
2	Cities with piped supply, sewerage existing/contemplated	135
3	Metropolitan & Mega cities with piped supply, sewerage existing/contemplated	150

Notes: Stand posts: 40 lpcd; UFW ≤15% (new systems); 24×7 supply; residual pressure 7/12/17 m for 1/2/3-storey contexts.

Institutional Buildings – Water Requirements (CPHEEO, 1999)

Institution / Use	Litres per head per day (l/h/d)
Hospital >100 beds (per bed)	450
Hospital ≤100 beds (per bed)	340
Hotel (per bed)	180
Hostel	135
Nurses homes / Medical quarters	135
Boarding schools/colleges	135
Restaurant (per seat)	70
Airport & Seaports	70
Junction/Intermediate stations (mail/express stop)	70
Terminal stations	45
Intermediate stations (no mail/express stop)	45 (→ 25 if no bathing)
Day schools/colleges	45
Offices	45
Factories	45 (→ 30 if no bathing)
Cinema / Concert halls / Theatres	15

Industrial Units – Water Requirement (per unit of production)

Industry	Unit	Water (kL per unit)
Automobile	Vehicle	40
Distillery	kL (proof alcohol)	122–170
Fertilisers	Tonne	80–200
Leather	100 kg (tanned)	4
Paper	Tonne	200–400
Special quality paper	Tonne	400–1,000
Straw board	Tonne	75–100
Petroleum refinery	Tonne (crude)	1–2
Steel	Tonne	200–250
Sugar	Tonne	1–2
Textile	100 kg (goods)	8–14

WTP Land Requirement by Capacity (indicative)

Capacity (MLD)	Land (ha)
5	0.10
10	0.19
50	0.93
100	1.87
200	3.73
500	9.34

Add 0.63 ha for staff quarters where planned.

Terminologies Used (Plain-English)

Term	Meaning (from this page)
lpcd	Litres per capita per day – per-person daily water supply benchmark.
Unaccounted-for Water (UFW)	Difference between water put into the system and billed/recorded use; includes physical losses (leakage) and administrative losses (illegal connections, meter under-registration).
Ferrule point	Consumer connection point on the distribution pipe; residual pressure measured here (7/12/17 m for 1/2/3-storey contexts).
Service storage	Service reservoirs/storage within the distribution system; ~⅓ of fire-fighting demand should be drawn from here.
Static tanks	Stationary tanks placed at strategic points for fire-fighting; filled from nearby sources (ponds/streams/canals/tankers).
District Meter Area (DMA)	District of typically 2,000–5,000 properties bounded for bulk metering; flows/pressures monitored to manage losses.
Bulk metering	Metering of flows on major supply lines into defined DMAs to assess night/peak flows and losses.
Data logger	Portable device to record pressure/flow data for later download and analysis.
Organoleptic parameters	User-perceived qualities of water such as colour, odour, taste (see IS 10500).
Free residual chlorine	Chlorine remaining at consumer end after disinfection; maintain ≥0.2 mg/L (≥0.5 mg/L when viral protection needed).
Acceptable / Permissible limit	IS 10500 “acceptable” should be implemented; “permissible in absence of alternate source” may be tolerated up to the stated upper bound.
Bacteriological quality	Microbiological safety – E. coli and Total coliforms must be not detectable in any 100 mL sample.
Water Treatment Plant (WTP)	Facility that treats raw water to potable standards; indicative land needs rise with capacity (e.g., 100 MLD ≈ 1.87 ha).
MLD	Million litres per day – capacity/flow unit used for systems and WTPs.
Design period	Planning horizon for component life (e.g., dams 50 yrs; motors/pumps 15 yrs).
Infiltration works	Structures that abstract groundwater by infiltration (design period ≈ 30 yrs).
Raw/Clear water mains	Raw water conveying mains (untreated) and clear water mains (post-treatment) – typical design period ≈ 30 yrs.
Service reservoir / Balancing tank	Overhead or ground-level storage providing pressure balancing and service storage (often ≈ 15 yrs design period).
Stand post	Public water point; in urban areas, 40 lpcd is considered.
Leakage control (Physical / Non-physical)	Physical: leaks from pipes/joints/reservoirs; Non-physical: theft, under-billing, open/leaky taps, estimation errors.

Definitions summarise the exact phrases used in URDPFI/CPHEEO/IS 10500 sections above.

Abbreviations & Units (as used in this page)

Abbreviations

Abbrev.	Expansion
URDPFI	Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation
CPHEEO	Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization
IS 10500	Indian Standard: Drinking Water – Specification (2012)
IRWM	Indian Railways Works Manual
UFW	Unaccounted-for Water
DMA	District Meter Area
WTP	Water Treatment Plant
MLD	Million Litres per Day
lpcd	Litres per capita per day
NTU	Nephelometric Turbidity Unit
TDS	Total Dissolved Solids
MBAS	Methylene Blue Active Substances (anionic detergents test)
PAH	Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
PCB / PCBs	Polychlorinated Biphenyl(s)
AOAC	Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (method reference)
USEPA	United States Environmental Protection Agency (method reference)
PPP	Public–Private Partnership
BOO	Build, Operate and Own
BOOT	Build, Operate, Own and Transfer

Units & Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
L	Litre
kL	Kilolitre (1,000 L)
mg/L	Milligrams per litre
µg/L (ug/L)	Micrograms per litre
Bq/L	Becquerel per litre (radioactivity)
m	Metre (e.g., residual head 7/12/17 m)
m²	Square metre (e.g., 10 L/m² for apron washing)
ha	Hectare (e.g., WTP land; gardening 22,500 L/ha/day)
l/h/d	Litres per head per day

Examiner’s Favourites (Common Traps)

• 70 vs 135 vs 150 lpcd — map correctly to towns (no sewer), cities (with sewer), and metros.
• Stand-post = 40 lpcd — often confused with 45 (for schools/offices).
• Residual head 7/12/17 m — link to 1/2/3-storey, not arbitrary pressures.
• UFW ≤15% — applies to new systems; includes both physical & administrative losses.
• Fire water = 100√P — ensure P is population; one-third from service storage.
• Stations: Terminal 45 l/h/d vs Junction/Intermediate (mail stop) 70 l/h/d.
• Factories 45→30 — reduce to 30 only if no bathing rooms.
• IS 10500: pH 6.5–8.5; Turbidity 1–5 NTU; TDS 500–2,000 mg/L.
• Fluoride 1.0–1.5 mg/L — not 0.5–1.0 (that’s a common mix-up).
• Sulphate 200→400 mg/L — 400 only when Mg ≤30 mg/L.
• Chlorine ≥0.2 mg/L at consumer end; ≥0.5 mg/L when viral protection is needed.
• Bacteriological: E. coli & Total coliforms MUST be “not detectable” in any 100 mL sample.

Flashcards (tap to flip, then Next)

Press Start or Shuffle to begin.

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Tip: Use Flip to reveal the answer, then Next. You can also click the card to flip.

Rapid-Revision Drill (7 minutes)

1. Skim the High-Yield Summary once (focus: 70–135–150 lpcd; UFW 15%; 7–12–17 m; 100√P).
2. Glance the Institutional & Industrial tables — note the outliers (Hospitals 450/340; Paper 400–1,000 special).
3. Review WTP land mapping (5→500 MLD) and design periods (50–30–15 rule).
4. Read Examiner’s Favourites — especially IS 10500 pH/TDS/Turbidity; chlorine residuals.
5. Run through 10–15 flashcards (Shuffle → Flip → Next). Aim for recall, not recognition.
6. Finish with the bacteriological standard: “not detectable” for E. coli & Total coliforms.

Quick FAQ (from the standards on this page)

CPHEEO per-capita norms?

70 (towns no sewerage), 135 (cities with sewerage), 150 (metros/mega).

Fire-fighting water formula?

100√P (P = forecast population > 50,000); ~⅓ from service storage.

Residual chlorine at consumer end?

≥0.2 mg/L (≥0.5 mg/L when viral protection required); up to 1 mg/L.

IS 10500 core limits?

pH 6.5–8.5; Turbidity 1–5 NTU; TDS 500–2,000 mg/L (acceptable→permissible).

WTP land for 100 MLD?

≈1.87 ha (+0.63 ha if staff quarters).

Typical size & reading frequency for a DMA?

~2,000–5,000 properties per district; meters read weekly, same time of day.

Sources: URDPFI Guidelines (2014), CPHEEO Manual on Water Supply & Treatment (1999), IS 10500:2012 (Drinking Water), Indian Railways Works Manual (IRWM), Metcalf & Eddy (as cited), National Water Policy (2012). Cross-check with local byelaws where applicable.