The significance of intake structures can be understood from the fact that they aid in the access, regulation, and protection of water resources during the water extraction for various purposes.
Importance of Intake Structures:
- Access to water resource
- Water quality
- Water supply reliability
- Regulated water flow
- Environmental preservation
- Emergency preparedness
1. Access to Water Resource
Intake structures make it possible to extract water from different water resources like rivers, lakes, canals, or reservoirs.
2. Water Quality
Water quality is ensured if uncontaminated location and proper design of intake structure is selected. The debris, aquatic life, sediments, and contaminants are removed by installations like screens, filters, and sedimentation chambers ensuring water quality.
3. Water Supply Reliability
Uninterrupted water supply to water treatment plants is ensured by intake structures.
4. Regulated Water Flow
Intake structures stop the excess water during the floods and supply water even during the low level flow in the reservoir. Water flow can be controlled so that steady supply is ensured and thus help in water management too.
5. Environmental Preservation
Intake structures minimise their ecological footprint as they control the disruption to aquatic habitats and ecosystems. Thus, we can say that intake structures also help in the conservation of biodiversity.
6. Emergency Preparedness
Even during natural disasters or infrastructure disruptions, access to water is ensured by intake structures.
Components of Intake Structures
The major components of an intake structure are as follows:
- Intake pipe (Channel)
- Drum screens
- Trash racks
- Bar screens
- Velocity caps
- Belt conveyors
- Gates & valves
- Sedimentation chambers
- Pumps (Lift stations)
- Access platforms & Walkways
- Instrumentation