WET Services installation for social housing in Ferndale
PROJECT 23
Supplied by ALLYCiV
By
Sayed Ally( ALLYCiV), edited by Megan O’ Connor
Over the course of 16 months, ALLYCiV carried out the WET services installations for a social housing project in Ferndale, Randburg.
The development presented a significant engineering and logistics undertaking, with wet services infrastructure designed to serve 585 residential apartments across a multi-storey building. The project required the integration of drainage, cold-water reticulation, hot-water generation, water storage, pressure boosting, smart metering, fire protection reserves, borehole water and rainwater harvesting systems within a limited services footprint.
What the client wanted to achieve The client wanted water-saving interventions installed, with the hopes of creating sustainable water usage throughout the building and reducing water costs for non-potable applications. This was achieved through the installation of:
• A rainwater harvesting system, through which rainwater from roof slabs is collected into ground-level plastic storage tanks and used for irrigation of plants.
• Water efficient fittings for shower heads, sink mixers and handwash basin mixers were used, in order to reduce the water consumption without impacting user comfort.
The WET services installation – from start to finish The WET services installation was carefully phased to align with the construction programme, ensuring that critical plumbing infrastructure was installed as soon as the building structure became accessible.
The process began with the installation of the soil and waste drainage network, including collector vent pipes within the eighth-floor ceiling void. This gravity-driven drainage system was prioritised early in the construction sequence, as it occupied key space within the plumbing ducts. The system was constructed using PVC soil and vent( SV) pipes and fittings, providing a durable and cost-effective solution for soil and waste drainage and ventilation.
Foul water from individual apartments was then connected to singlestack drainage pipes located within the building’ s service ducts. This approach optimised both space and installation costs while maintaining efficient performance. Once completed, the drainage network underwent comprehensive pressure testing to verify system integrity and ensure there were no leaks.
Supplied by ALLYCiV
The next phase involved the installation of the cold- and hot-water reticulation system serving each apartment. To achieve a high-quality architectural finish, these services were chased into the walls, concealing the pipework from view.
November 2026 Volume 32 I Number 09 www. plumbingafrica. co. za