HEAVYSIDE
ADOPTING BETTER SEWAGE OPTIONS
Water authorities have certain requirements when taking over responsibility for sewers and drains once a development has been completed. BMJ investigates.
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here are three distinct pieces of legislation that govern the application of water and sewage treatment in different parts of Great Britain. Whilst the spirit of these codes remains consistent, regional variations make them difficult to navigate, particularly for developers operating on a cross-border basis.
The three guidance documents that govern the application of adoptable sewer projects are: • Design and Construction Guidance (DCG) for England • Sewers for Scotland 4th Edition (SFS4) for Scotland • Sewers for Adoption 7th Edition (SFA7) for Wales
All three provide individual regional frameworks for the design and construction of foul and surface water sewers, setting out requirements for materials, layout, hy- draulic design, structural integrity, access and maintenance to ensure long-term performance and resilience.
Drainage and plumbing manufacturer Brett Martin has launched Adopta, a complete portfolio of drain and sewer pipes, fittings and non-entry inspection chambers for where the drains/sewers are required to be adopted by a sewerage or water authority.
Sales director Chris Dawson says that this means Brett Martin can now offer a greater range of adoptable drain and sewer packages to fulfil the requirements for housebuilders and developers when it comes to the application of adoptable sewers in England, Scotland and Wales – which can be a complicated business.
“It’s one thing to bring a complete system to market – but we have made sure that this goes hand in hand with support right along the supply chain to ensure that our merchant partners and their end-user customers can get quick and easy access to the right guidance and technical support for each project,” he says. “The application of
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socket), adaptors and plugs manufactured or certified to BS EN 1401-1. All fittings have an integrated lip seal for easy jointing. • Non-entry inspection chambers – these include a 450 mm diameter chamber with 110 mm and 160 mm inlet/outlet options and a 600 mm diameter chamber with 160 mm, 250 mm, 300 mm and 400 mm inlet/outlet options. These chambers are certified to BS EN 13598-2 and Kitemarked, meaning they can be installed up to 3 m deep for adoptable installations.
adoptable sewers can be a minefield – especially as there is different guidance for each region, so the team at Brett Martin have gone through all of the guidance with a fine-tooth comb for two main reasons.
“To reaffirm the earlier point, it’s crucial to provide merchants and their teams with the right level of information so that they can assist customers in branch themselves or, failing that, they can signpost them to us to get technical support. And it goes without saying that we need to know what specifications we are manufacturing our drain and sewer pipes, fittings and non-entry inspection chambers to, for where the drains/sewers are required to be adopted by the sewerage or water authority,” Dawson says.
There are three core product groups in the Adopta range, which comply with the individual guidance documents for England, Scotland and Wales: • Pipes – these include structured wall pipes (in 110 mm and 160 mm diameters, certified to BS EN 13476-2 (and tested to WIS 4-35-01), Kitemarked and avail-able in 3 m lengths) and solid wall PVC-U pipes (in 250 mm, 315 mm and 400 mm diameters, certified to BS EN 1401-1). • Fittings – these include couplers, bends (single socket and double socket), branches (double socket and triple
Non-entry inspection chambers Dawson is keen to throw the spotlight on non- entry inspection chambers, as they are an ideal choice for adoptable installations, and Brett Martin’s part two inspection chambers are suitable for use as boundary or demarcation chambers. Key features and benefits include: • Safety first – designed to provide non-man access for maintenance inspection systems and prevent unsafe physical access. • Fast installation – they are typically faster to install than concrete ones and easier to configure. • Adaptable – because they are strong and lightweight, our inspection chambers are especially suitable for adoptable residential and agricultural installations. • Practical – weighing 25 kg or less, our range of chambers can be suitable for manual handling, reducing the risk of injury. He says: “At Brett Martin, we can provide take-offs for complete underground drainage systems on housing developments, including solutions for stormwater management with the StormCrate55 attenuation and infiltration system.
“It’s all about supporting merchants and their customers. We work closely with some outstanding businesses up and down the country and have invested time and resources to make sure they are knowledgeable about the guidance and Brett Martin products that are specifically designed to meet those standards. We’re always happy to accommodate requests for training or refreshers to ensure branch teams can add value to their customers with advice and information about the ap-plication of adoptable sewers.
“Where there is a level of complexity, the merchant is unsure of the legislation or developers need additional support with take- offs, we are happy to step in to assist directly with the customer. Our involvement can vary from offering support via phone or email to making on-site visits and supplying technical drawings, ensuring that developers receive the answers they require.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2024
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