GROUNDWORKS Water water (isn’t) everywhere
Lisa Farnsworth of Stormsaver discusses how rainwater harvesting is critical to the design of future building design in the context of UK water scarcity
years. June and July were scorching hot, and the water companies are all putting out advice on how to use less water. So, how can designers and specifiers ensure new buildings are water efficient and sustainable in an effort to manage our changing climate? The Environment Agency have predicted that we will soon no longer have enough available water in the UK to supply demand. It makes perfect sense to collect rainwater locally from our roof areas and filter this on site, rather than wastefully sending it straight to drain to be transported and treated to drinking water quality, before being redistributed in the mains water supply. Over 50 per cent of our daily water use does not need to be treated to drinking water quality. For companies who wish to demonstrate a serious commitment to their sustainability agenda, rainwater harvesting is a must- have technology.
I
Rainwater is hot news at the moment; too much of it, too little of it, how to manage it. How do you deal with and make the most of nature’s most abundant, free resource? Rainwater can bring life to those living in areas of water stress, but devastation in the form of flooding. However, with expert management through rainwater harvesting and attenuation one of our most powerful resources can be harnessed, controlled and re-used, removing our water woes! We are living in an age where wastage is frowned upon and architects have the opportunity to lead the way in a sustainable water management approach, by utilizing rainwater harvesting in schools, offices, industrial and retail facilities across the UK. There are many applications in which harvested rainwater can be used. For example, WC and urinal flushing; irrigation and landscape watering; vehicle washing; laundry; and cooling or with fire sprinkler systems.
ADF AUGUST 2018
t is impossible to not notice the changes in weather conditions that we have been experiencing in the UK in recent
55
Rainwater harvesting can deliver significant returns on investment, especially with larger buildings with a high water demand, which may achieve a payback of between two to five years. Many buildings have roof areas, which conveniently can provide the right amount for their water demand.
Rainwater is channelled from the roof into the storage tank passing an integrated vortex filter, which removes any large
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Harvesting rainwater is now accessible,
acceptable and critical to the way we design our future buildings
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
