Any water supply system that is not elevated must depend upon pumps to supply the necessary volume and pressure. This system is a:

• A. Pressure tank system
• B. Dual system
• C. Direct pumping system
• D. Low-volume system

Answer: (C)

When water pressure must come from pumping rather than gravity, the system relies on pumps to provide both the needed volume and the pressure. If there’s no elevated tank or other gravity source, you can’t depend on height to push water through the system, so water is delivered directly into the distribution network by pumps. That setup is known as a direct pumping system—the water is pumped straight into the lines to meet demand and overcome friction and any elevation.

A pressure tank system, by contrast, uses a storage tank that holds water and maintains pressure, reducing the need for constant pumping to keep pressure up. It still requires a pump to refill the tank, but the presence of stored water changes how pressure is supplied under varying demand. A dual system implies two different delivery methods, not described here, and a low-volume system focuses on the amount of water available rather than how pressure is provided.