Pressure booster systems in drinking water supply

Pressure booster systems: This is how it runs!

Water plays a key role in building services and is used in many ways: For cooking and showering, for the dishwasher and toilet flush, for watering gardens and parks, and — in the event of an emergency — for fighting fire. 

To make sure water is readily available for all these uses, pressure booster systems are required. Pressure booster systems serve to increase the pressure in the various water supply systems in a targeted manner to supply the extraction point with a sufficient flow of water at the right pressure.

Depending on their purpose and location, pressure booster systems are designed with different characteristics. They can be found in the most diverse of applications. Pressure booster systems can be connected directly to the water supply system, for example, to transport the water to the upper levels of a building. It is handy that several pressure booster systems in series can also be connected directly to the water supply system.

Another way of using pressure booster systems is for supplying different pressure zones with the required pressure. Such applications use several pressure booster systems that are either directly connected to the water supply or that are connected to the water supply via a break tank. Each pressure booster system supplies its assigned pressure zones. Good to know: Several pressure booster systems with break tank can be also connected in series. In this case, each pressure booster system is connected to its own break tank. 

Pressure booster systems are also used for filling water tanks on roofs. The system pumps the water up to the tank on the roof, from where it is then distributed to the building units below by means of gravity. 

Regardless of their specific application, all pressure booster systems have got one thing in common: They comprise a large number of components. Apart from pumps and the corresponding motors this includes gate or globe valves that are integrated in the water circuit of the building. Further elements are a switch or computer system that start up and stop the pumps in alternating operation (or parallel operation during high demand) or that adjust the pumps' speed. 

Membrane-type accumulators can also be part of a pressure booster system. Their task is to balance out consumer-side small quantities of water, thus preventing the constant starting and stopping of pump motors, which is also known as chattering. This is more gentle on the pump motors, thus increasing their service life. It also prevents pressure surges and the noise such surges may entail.

To summarise:
Wherever the minimum supplied water pressure is insufficient to properly supply all extraction points, a pressure booster system is needed.

Why the professional and safe operation of a pressure booster system is so important

Drinking water, which is classified as food, is a precious good that must absolutely be protected. In Germany, this is strictly regulated by the standards DIN 2000 (Central drinking water supply), DIN 2001 (Drinking water supply from small units and non stationary plants), the IfSG (Protection against Infection Act), the LFGB (Food, Commodity and Feed Code) and the TrinkwV (Drinking Water Ordinance). 

In addition, special regulations apply to water supply regarding systems in buildings and on premises, e.g. AVBWasserV (General Water Supply Terms Ordinance), DIN EN 805 or DIN EN 806. Since 2018 the regulations regarding drinking water hygiene have become more stringent still.

For the operation of a pressure booster system this means: Pressure booster systems and all their components must be designed and operated in such a way that neither the public water supply nor any other consumer installations are interfered with – any degradation in the quality of drinking water must absolutely be ruled out. 

As a closed system prevents any health risk resulting from external contamination of drinking water, systems with direct connection should be preferred to those with indirect connection (see above).

KSB adds safety to water supply 

Given the complexity of a pressure booster system with its many components, how can you make sure all legal requirements are met and – above all – provide safety to people and the environment? 

Ask the KSB experts: KSB is the right partner when it comes to ensuring optimal water distribution in building services. KSB offers specially tailored products and solutions for all challenges. 

One of them is our KSB Safety Boost break tank package booster set. KSB Safety Boost helps you to reliably and safely separate applications such as buried spray irrigation systems, cattle troughs and service water supply systems from the mains water. 

KSB Safety Boost provides the highest level of protection for liquids of category 5 to DIN EN 1717. The fully automatic, ready-to-connect set is equipped with a vertical high-pressure pump. It is modular in design and mounted on a baseplate. The maximum flow rate per set equals 7 m3/h, the highest head 76 metres. The set is easy and fast to commission. Every KSB Safety Boost set is supplied ready-to-connect, pre-assembled and tested. Once the set has been connected to the piping, the 230 V connection simply has to be plugged into a socket (plug and play).

Like KSB Safety Boost, all KSB products consistently comply with the relevant special stipulations for drinking water protection and all applicable international standards, approvals and testing regulations. Because when dealing with drinking water, hygiene is of the highest priority. 

As you can see: KSB will come up with a solution for everything. Our comprehensive and reliable range of services perfectly rounds off our portfolio as your full-range supplier for water distribution.

Do you have any questions? Please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.