ABSTRACT
Dewatered basement floors in flooded areas buckle from the upward pressure, and structures built below ground, such as dewatered tanks at water or wastewater treatment plants, must be able to withstand upward pressures imposed by ground water, or they may float right up out of the ground. The source of distribution system pressure in most community water systems is the water storage tank. In the 17th century, Blaise Pascal formulated a fundamental law of hydraulics. Adequate elevation and depth of water in a tank will provide enough pressure to move the water throughout the distribution system. The simplest type of pressure measurement device is the piezometer. Piezometers can be installed on pipelines; the water will rise in the tube to a level equivalent to the pressure in the pipe. The pressure gage is a compact, practical device used for pressure measurement.
