16 FEATURE pH – commonly referred to as acidity . Ideal pH is 7 , with higher numbers being alkali and lower being acidic . Chlorine – Most water supply authorities use chlorine to sterilise bacteria . Chlorine can also be used to sterilise reclaimed water . Quantities are small to large depending on the application but remember chlorine contributes to corrosion of metals and steel . Langelier index – the difference between measured pH and the saturated pH . Negative index shows water is corrosive and positive index shows a tendency for scaling . Nitrates – usually used in fertiliser which can enter the ground water . Nitrates have a detrimental effect on copper alloys and cause dezincification .
Pipework showing grey water supply
absolve the plumber from double checking the standards specified . Reason being that The Consumer Protection Act is clear that should anything go wrong the whole supply chain will be held accountable .
Let us now look at the composition of water . Hard water – water described as such usually contains calcium or magnesium salts . Such chemicals can reduce the effectiveness or decrease the life and efficiency of pipes , elements and metallic objects . Conductivity – the harder the water the greater the conductivity , which in turn results in electrolytic corrosion .
STANDARDS The National Water Act of 8 th June 2001 introduced two vitally important standards , namely : SANS 10252 – Water supply installations for buildings 1 & 2 and SANS 10254 – The Installation , maintenance , replacement , and repair of fixed electric storage water heating systems . The fact that these fall under the Dept of Water and Sanitation and not the National Building Regulations , SANS 10400 , is unfortunate as it tends to cause confusion amongst the Building Control and inspectors .
Such confusion leads to the plumber , hence the need for the plumber to clearly understand all the standards and in fact be in possession of the documents . Part P of 10400 does move into the BUILDING side insofar as Drainage is concerned .
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