Located in the heart of Israel, Jerusalem is a capital city with a rich history, culture, and profound spiritual significance. The Holy City is considered a sacred site by three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This unique blend of religious heritage and historical depth draws visitors from across the globe each year, excited to explore the city's iconic landmarks. Beyond its role as a global pilgrimage destination, Jerusalem is also a thriving city, home to over a million residents.
As the city continues to grow and progress, its water demand steadily increases.
Putting this demand growth into perspective, Back in 1994, annual drinking water consumption was approx. 60 million m3. Increasing continuously, peaking during the 2000s, when the yearly consumption nearly tripled! In this stage, water conservation measures were necessary. As a means to meet the future demands of a rapidly growing population, and to address the many challenges of aging infrastructure, the Israeli national water company Mekorot decided to implement a modern pipeline system, a project aimed to deliver water from the national aqueduct, desalination and deep wells near the coastline to Jerusalem.
There were numerous challenges to address and factors to take into account:
- Population Growth: As Jerusalem continues to grow, so does its demand for drinking water. The influx of new residents and growing households puts an ever-increasing demand on the city's water supply system.
- Urbanization: Jerusalem's urban expansion has led to the development of commercial centers and industrial areas.
- Increased Water Consumption per Capita: As living standards have improved, individuals in Jerusalem tend to consume more water per capita. This increased consumption can be attributed to factors such as rising living standards, increased water consumption for personal hygiene, and the introduction of more water-intensive activities, such as gardening and landscaping.
- Climate Considerations: Jerusalem's semi-arid climate requires a higher water consumption level than other regions. The city experiences hot summers and cold winters, leading to higher water usage for cooling and heating purposes.
The Challenge
Daily transportation of nearly 1.5 million cubic meters from the coastline to Jerusalem's mountains presents a tremendous engineering challenge. This part of the water supply system includes four stages of pumping stations and reservoirs. For the steepest section of the pipe, , a 2600 mm PN40; 13 KM long steel pipe, constructed through an excavated tunnel, was used to connect the 'Shimshon' pumping station at an elevation of +283 meters to the uphill 'Ein Kerem' reservoir at an elevation of +540 meters.
'Shimshon Pumping Station Technical Data
| Design Parameter | |
| Number of pumps | 6 (5+1) |
| Each pump Capacity | 12,000 m3/h |
| Total Future Flow | 60,000 m3/h |
| Max. Flow velocity | 3 m/s |
The high velocity and the requirement for the pump to raise the pressure to 27 bar create a significant potential for severe pressure surges. Leveraging its strong reputation and extensive experience in designing, manufacturing, and supplying exceptional products for water systems, Mekorot sought BERMAD's expertise for a comprehensive surge protection solution. To ensure accurate and reliable results, BERMAD engineers conducted a surge analysis using advanced transient flow software.
Based on a comprehensive analysis of the system requirements, BERMAD proposed the following solution:
Six units of BERMAD WW-835-M DN500 / 20” Surge Anticipating Valves. This PN40, piston-actuated valve immediately opens in response to the pressure drop associated with abrupt pump stoppage. The pre-opened valve dissipates the returning high-pressure wave and eliminates the surge. The six 835-M valves were installed in parallel to increase the relief flow capacity and reduce the discharge load, thereby providing a fully redundant surge solution. BERMAD engineers did an additional surge analysis, which showed that the maximum pressure using the 835-M valves met the client's requirement for the maximum pressure allowed. In addition, BERMAD supplied air control solution using C70 Combination Air Valve.
Take a look >>
Contact our experts for further information and assistance with waterworks applications.
