What causes water pressure problems?
The North Wales Water Authority's distribution system is a gravity system. This means that the Authority pumps water from individual sources into the distribution system to maintain adequate levels in our storage tanks. The water pressure experienced at any one location within our system is solely determined by the geographic location of that specific area.
The Authority does not "boost" the pressure in any area of the system by pumps, nor does it "reduce" the pressure in any area of the system by valving. Water pressure is strictly a function of how many feet, measured in vertical distance, a property is located relative to the storage facility serving it. The majority of low pressure problems are actually created within the individual home. In many homes internal piping is down-sized from the original service line size. Long runs of smaller piping reduce the volume of water which can pass through it regardless of supply pressure. In such cases, we see adequate static pressure, but the residual pressure drops off drastically when fixtures are opened. This is what you experience when showering and someone flushes a commode.
Devices such as pressure reducing valves, water softeners, water filters, and low-flow fixtures can further restrict the volume of water flow that appears as diminished pressure.
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