project
The problem
After the heavy storms and subsequent flooding in the
Meadowdale, Johannesburg area last year, the client
at Clandale Projects called in Burgess and Partners
Plumbing Services to come up with a solution to prevent
future water issues.
With the heavy rains last year, the infrastructure in the
area was unable to cope with the excess rainwater from
the continuous rainfall at the time. The Clandale property
has stormwater facilities, as well as stormwater pumps
that pump the rainwater into the municipal stormwater
drains; however, the infrastructure in the area cannot
cope with that amount of water.
They needed an alternative solution.
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The solution
Warren Burger, business development manager at
Burgess and Partners, got involved and suggested that
a rainwater harvesting system take care of the excess
water (which could then be used at the client’s will) and
also provide a backup to the municipal water supply
feeding the toilets.
The rainwater harvesting system would feed the 6 500m 2
property’s irrigation system alongside the toilets, drastically
reducing Clandale’s municipal water usage.
The client was happy with this solution and Burger got
to work designing the system. He was also responsible
for managing the installation with the help of two of
Burgess’ trusted plumbers, Roland Palm and Sam
Ngoepe, who completed the job in record time.
The system collects rainwater from a portion of the
property’s roof and discharges into the five 5 000ℓ Rain
Cell rainwater storage tanks. Depending on the client’s
preference, the rainwater can then be used at will. By
opening and closing two different valves, the system
will automatically switch over from the municipal supply,
after which the pump will engage and ultimately feed the
building with pressurised backup rainwater.
The client can now let the water run out into the
municipal stormwater drain at their own pace, allowing it
to drain properly without flooding the entire system.
Tackling the project
Burger did a lot of research before sitting down to do the
design. Preparations for the project involved working out
the total roof space and calculating the rainfall quantities
over the past 20 years.
He also had to calculate the best place to install the
tanks. It was important to ensure that the tanks did not
obstruct any windows and that they were not too close
to any air conditioners. With regard to the pumps, it was
vital to keep them isolated and away from gas bottles
and other electronics, according to industry standards
and requirements.
Burger went to site to establish the number of people on
the property, together with the number of taps and toilets
the system would be feeding. It was also important to
find out what type of toilets were on site (flush master
operated toilets or normal low level flushing toilets).
The system
The first phase of the project involved installing new
110mm PVC downpipes and five 5 000ℓ rainwater tanks
Rainwater is collected from the two sides and front of
the building.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
September 2017 Volume 23 I Number 7