{"id":7860,"date":"2020-09-01T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T13:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/esperto-risponde\/using-a-river-as-a-water-supply\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T09:45:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T07:45:56","slug":"using-a-river-as-a-water-supply","status":"publish","type":"esperto-risponde","link":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/esperto-risponde\/using-a-river-as-a-water-supply\/","title":{"rendered":"Using a River as a Water Supply"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The use of rivers as a water source<\/em> is a topic that often comes up when evaluating a natural resource as a water supply for a plant. The question is simple, but the answer requires connecting several points in UNI EN 12845. <\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#la-domanda-in-pratica\">The question (in a nutshell)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#dove-la-uni-en-12845-ammette-il-fiume-come-alimentazione\">Where UNI EN 12845 permits a river as a water source<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#il-vincolo-chiave-la-qualita-dellacqua-punto-8-1-2\">The key constraint: water quality (section 8.1.2)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#perche-lacqua-di-fiume-e-un-caso-delicato\">Why River Water Is a Sensitive Issue<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#la-risposta-operativa-cosa-prevede-la-norma-per-le-alimentazioni-inesauribili-punto-9-4\">The Operational Response: What the Rules Stipulate Regarding \u201cINEXHAUSTIBLE POWER SOURCES\u201d (Section 9.4)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#cosa-deve-includere-lopera-di-presa-secondo-il-testo\">What must the socket include (according to the text)?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#quindi-posso-mettere-le-aspirazioni-direttamente-in-alveo\">So: Can I place the inlet lines directly in the riverbed?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#conclusione\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"la-domanda-in-pratica\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The question (in practice)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we talk about \u201cinstalling inlet pipes directly in the riverbed,\u201d we usually mean routing the inlet line(s) from the pump(s) \u201cinto the river\u201d without any intermediate structures. This solution may seem straightforward, but it must be evaluated in light of the requirements for water quality and system reliability. <\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"dove-la-uni-en-12845-ammette-il-fiume-come-alimentazione\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where UNI EN 12845 permits a river as a water source<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UNI EN 12845 specifies the use of a river as a water source (see section <strong>3.33<\/strong>). This clarifies that \u201criver\u201d is included among the sources considered. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practical terms: the issue is not \u201cwhether a river can be used,\u201d but <em>how<\/em> it can be used in a way that is consistent with the other requirements of the same rule.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"il-vincolo-chiave-la-qualita-dellacqua-punto-8-1-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The key constraint: water quality (section 8.1.2)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UNI EN 12845 itself (section <strong>8.1.2<\/strong>) requires that:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the water <strong>must not contain fibrous substances<\/strong>; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>other suspended material<\/strong> that could cause <strong>deposits inside the<\/strong> system&#8217;s <strong>pipes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This point is crucial because it shifts the focus from the \u201cmechanical\u201d aspect of the work (whether or not there is a pipe in the riverbed) to the system\u2019s expected performance over time: if deposits build up in the pipes, performance may be compromised.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"perche-lacqua-di-fiume-e-un-caso-delicato\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why River Water Is a Sensitive Issue<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The text points out that river water typically carries a <strong>significant amount of sediment<\/strong>. This sediment transport can: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>interfere<\/strong> with its operation; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>damage<\/strong> the <strong>fire pump-sets<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This consideration is directly related to the requirement in section 8.1.2: the risk is not theoretical, but stems from the presence of material that can accumulate or cause problems for the equipment.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"la-risposta-operativa-cosa-prevede-la-norma-per-le-alimentazioni-inesauribili-punto-9-4\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Operational Response: What the Rules Stipulate Regarding \u201cINEXHAUSTIBLE POWER SOURCES\u201d (Section 9.4)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For <strong>INEXHAUSTIBLE WATER SOURCES<\/strong>, UNI EN 12845 (section <strong>9.4<\/strong>) requires that <strong>a socket<\/strong> be installed between the riverbed and the pumps.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, connecting the dots:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The river can be used as a water source (3.33);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, the water must meet a \u201ccleanliness\u201d requirement with respect to fibrous substances and suspended solids that cause deposits (8.1.2);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And, specifically to handle the typical case of a river (solid transport), a socket is provided between the riverbed and the pumps for inexhaustible water sources (9.4).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 id=\"cosa-deve-includere-lopera-di-presa-secondo-il-testo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What must the socket include (according to the text)?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The intake structure specified in section 9.4 must include:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a <strong>sedimentation zone<\/strong>; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>an <strong>inlet zone<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This configuration serves to \u201cseparate\u201d the river environment from the pumps by introducing an intermediate passage that addresses the client requirements regarding the presence of suspended solids and the risk of sediment buildup.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The text also states that readers should refer to <strong>Figure 5<\/strong> of the cited standard for the diagram.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"quindi-posso-mettere-le-aspirazioni-direttamente-in-alveo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">So: Can I place the inlet lines directly in the riverbed?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In light of the points mentioned above, \u201cdirect installation in the riverbed\u201d is an option that risks failing to address the issue of <strong>sediment transport<\/strong> typical of rivers and the requirement that the water not contain suspended solids that could cause deposits.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, the recommended approach is <strong>to install a socket<\/strong> between the riverbed and the pumps, incorporating <strong>sedimentation<\/strong> and <strong>inlet<\/strong>, as is standard for inexhaustible water sources.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusione\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The river can be used as a water source or supply, but the UNI EN 12845 standard requires attention to water quality and, for inexhaustible water sources, specifies the installation of an intake structure with a sedimentation zone and an inlet zone. This approach reduces the risk that suspended solids will interfere with or damage the fire-fighting pump-sets and that deposits will form in the piping. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using a river as a water source: Is it possible to install inlet pipes directly in the riverbed? The UNI EN 12845 standard allows for the use of rivers, but requires attention to water quality and, for inexhaustible water sources, an intake structure with sedimentation and inlet capabilities. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7864,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"tags":[551,565,559,555,561,563,549,557,553],"class_list":["post-7860","esperto-risponde","type-esperto-risponde","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-engineering-insights","tag-fire-protection-systems","tag-inexhaustible-power-sources","tag-inlet-lines","tag-intake-structure","tag-sedimentation-zone","tag-uni-en-12845","tag-use-of-the-river-as-a-water-reserve","tag-water-supply"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde\/7860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/esperto-risponde"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde\/7860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}