In general, a water distribution system can be classified as having a grid, ring, radial or dead end layout.
A grid system follows the general layout of the road grid with water mains and branches connected in rectangles. With this topology, water can be supplied from several directions allowing good water circulation and redundancy if a section of the network has broken down. Drawbacks of this topology include difficulty sizing the system.
A ring system has a water main for each road, and there is a sub-main branched off the main to provide circulation to customers. This topology has some of the advantages of a grid system, but it is easier to determine sizing.
A radial system delivers water into multiple zones. At the center of each zone, water is delivered radially to the customers.
A dead end system has water mains along roads without a rectangular pattern. It is used for communities whose road networks are not regular. As there are no cross-connections between the mains, water can have less circulation and therefore stagnation may be a problem.