How does elevation affect discharge pressure?

• A. Elevation has no effect on discharge pressure
• B. Elevation adds head so discharge pressure must account for vertical distance
• C. Elevation reduces necessary discharge pressure
• D. Elevation only affects residual pressure

Answer: (B)

Elevation adds gravitational head to the system. When water is pushed to a higher point, you must supply enough energy to raise the water column against gravity. That extra energy shows up as hydrostatic head, proportional to the vertical distance (roughly density times gravity times the height difference). So the discharge pressure must include this additional pressure to overcome the elevation gain. In short, raising the discharge point adds head, and the system must account for that vertical distance in the discharge pressure.