DESIGN: DEAR MR PLUMBER
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Severe drought and the future
We are told that this is only the beginning of what we must get used to for the future, and that water will become increasingly scarce.
By
Vollie Brink, Pr Eng
South Africa will be seriously affected not only by drought, but also by heat and food production becoming a problem. Water is the one commodity that we cannot live without and unfortunately, we cannot‘ make’ water in a factory.
People have been talking about the looming water problems and climate change, but in most cases, have done nothing in preparation for it. In the Western Cape, they waited until the drought was upon them, and only then started drilling and looking for water.
A new document is now also suddenly being developed to‘ conserve water’.
It seems these water conservation requirements will be relevant for‘ all new buildings’; the question is, how much impact will it have on the overall water situation if it is only for new buildings? The National Building Regulations( NBR) only address what is within the building and the premises. In other words, what is within the boundaries of the property.
Everything outside of the boundaries is the property of the municipality and does not fall within the jurisdiction of the NBR. Water is used by people, both in and around their buildings on the premises. This water is piped on the premises and in the buildings and used through fixtures that discharge the water, from where it is used inside the building and outside.
The question is: how do you conserve water both in a building and around a building? It seems some people concentrate on the point of use where the water is discharged and throttle the flow rate of discharge. This throttling of a tap will not make the user use less water! To conserve water is a human behavioural issue. Educating people about using less water and perhaps about the cost of water will also motivate people to adapt their behaviour. The fixtures where water usage can be limited by means of the fixture itself is the WC and the shower.
The other successful water conservation tool in the building is the modern washing machine, which uses less water and less energy.
I have already said about water conservation; I want to talk about water regulations.
After 40 years, we still do not have a section on water under the NBR, but I hope this is the year that something will happen.
The fact that we do not have a part on domestic water in the NBR does not mean that the water systems of all buildings have not been designed, because where real engineers were appointed, the water systems are being designed and constructed by real plumbers. The only difference was( and still is) that the drawings are not submitted to the building control officer( BCO) and not approved, and there is no record of the drawings held in the office of the BCO, because it is not required by the BCO and the NBR.
The only record of these drawings is the as-built drawings held at the office of the real design engineer and / or at the office of the facilities manager or owner. In rare cases, the plumber would keep drawings for a period.
In many cases, where the facilities manager is no longer employed and a new facilities manager appointed, then the outgoing facilities manager will destroy the drawings or take it with him.
The problem is that the as-built drawings are essential for appropriate operation and maintenance and, more importantly, for extensions and / or alterations.
Engineers are basically only appointed for buildings that are complex, such as large shopping centers, hospitals, hotels, industrial developments, and large and tall buildings, which require a rational design.
A rational design requires a competent engineer for the drainage system and then the water system is included. In many cases, also the fire engineering as a package. In all such cases the engineer designs the systems in terms of SANS 10252-1( for the water) and SANS 10252-2( for the sanitary drainage), and any suitable fire code for the fire engineering.
Vollie Brink
Vollie Brink is one of the industry’ s longest serving wet service engineers. He continues to serve on SABS committees and has been involved in the Green Building Council Star rating system. Brink continues to consult for various organisations while enjoying a wellearned retirement.
Outside the building, there are a number of methods such as plants and paving. However, I don’ t want to repeat what
SANS 10252-1 and SANS 10252-2 were originally developed specifically for rational design and as a
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www. plumbingafrica. co. za March 2018 Volume 24 I Number 1