DRAINAGE & PLUMBING
HARVESTING THE RAINWATER OPPORTUNITY
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the UK is fuelling an unprecedented rise in demand for water management systems, such as rainwater harvesting as BMJ finds out.
F
rom July’s wildfires in Yorkshire to the ‘Beast from the East’ that gripped Britain in February, extreme weather events (bringing with them both droughts and floods) are only becoming more prevalent in the UK. 2017/18 was a case in point, with heavy rain and snowfall in the winter, followed by a summer of record- breaking heat and no rainfall to speak of. It’s therefore not surprising to see that methods to efficiently collect and retain rainwater (for reuse further down the line) are gaining popularity. This phenomenon is being further accelerated by recent comments from OFWAT (July 2018), urging Brits to take up rainwater harvesting. They warn that climate change and a growing population is seriously threatening our potable water supply, so the pressure is on to curb the nation’s water consumption and improve our resilience against severe dry-spells.
At the same time, as the UK continues to experience heavy rainfall and flash floods, demand for effective stormwater management (SWM) is also becoming increasingly sought-after. This is further compounded by ever-tightening water management regulations set by local councils and environment agencies. This has sparked an emerging trend, where RWH is combined with SWM capabilities to provide a two-in-one solution – one that can deliver the best of both worlds.
Against this backdrop, Matthew Rolfe, managing director at GRAF UK, says it’s clear to see why demand for water management systems is at an all-time high. “But how can merchants make the most of this burgeoning market opportunity” he asks. “Those who understand the product landscape and how it’s evolving, will be able to provide customers with the very best solutions for optimum long-term results. “
Rainwater harvesting
RWH systems collect rainwater for reuse in and around a property where water doesn’t need to be of drinking quality – such as flushing toilets, watering gardens or washing clothes and cars.
Rolfe says: “When you consider that each person in the UK uses on average 148 litres of water every day, it’s therefore easy to understand why a recent report from the Environment Agency, shows that England will face serious shortages by 2050 if measures aren’t put in place swiftly to curb water consumption. “Harvesting rainwater not only minimises our dependence on increasingly costly water from
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the mains (reducing usage by between 40 and 50%), but an efficient RWH tank will also make a huge difference to the end-user’s bill. With additional tax incentives available to encourage uptake of water-saving technologies, the financial pull is hard to resist. “
As well as cutting costs substantially, installing a RWH solution has a hugely positive impact on the environment by saving vast amount of valuable water, he adds. “This makes it a particularly attractive option for specifiers working on new-build projects, helping to meet important BREEAM criteria (which assess a building’s environmental, social and economic sustainability performance). There are three BREEAM credits available for RWH, so fitting a system can be the decisive factor in achieving the highly coveted ‘excellent’ rating. “ RWH is suitable for both domestic and commercial applications, but, the larger the available roof surface, the quicker the payback period, and the more economical sense it makes.
Market at a glance Rolfe says that when it comes to RWH, products fall into three main categories: • Direct systems are the most common RWH option for both domestic and commercial projects. These typically work by collecting
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2018
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