- Water transportation
Water transportation is the intentional movement of
water over large distances. Methods of transportation fall into three categories:
*Aqueduct s, which include pipelines,canal s, andtunnel s,
*container shipment, which includes transport bytank truck ,tank car , and tank ship, and
*towing, where atugboat is used to pull aniceberg or a largewater bag along behind it.Due to its weight, the transportation of water is very energy intensive. Unless it has the assistance of gravity, a canal or long-distance pipeline will need
pumping station s at regular intervals. In this regard, the lowerfriction levels of the canal make it a more economical solution than the pipeline. Water transportation is also very common along rivers and oceans.Major Water Transportation Projects
The
Grand Canal of China , finished in the 7th Century AD and measuring 1794 kilometres.The
California Aqueduct , near Sacramento, is 444 miles long.The
Great Manmade River is a vast underground network of pipes (1600 kilometres) in theSahara desert , transporting water from an immenseaquifer to the largest cities in the region.The
Kimberley Water Source Project is currently underway in Australia to determine the best method of transporting water from the Fitzroy River to the city of Perth. Options being considered include a 3,700 kilometre canal, a pipeline of at least 1,800 kilometres, tankers of 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes, andwater bag s each carrying between 0.5 and 1.5 gigalitres.The
Goldfields Pipeline built inWestern Australia in 1903 was the longest pipeline of its day at 597 kilometres. It supplies water from Perth to Kalgoorlie's gold mining industry.See also
*
Water management
*Water export
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