There is an ever increasing requirement for householders and house builders to consider incorporating sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) in their existing and new build homes. The requirement may be a personal environmental choice, financial, planning condition or a building regulation requirement. Current guidance and forthcoming legislation will encourage a greater uptake for SUDS as attempts are made to minimise the occurrences of flooding and reduce water wastage.
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Rainwater harvesting is the collection and distribution of rainwater from the roof, for use inside and outside of the home or business.
As the UK population increases, water demand has started to exceed supply, and localised flooding has become an issue. Industry experts are now recognising the important role that rainwater harvesting has to play in alleviating both these problems.
The harvested rainwater can be used for irrigation, toilet flushing, washing machines, washing your car and even watering livestock.
Rainwater harvesting can be used as part of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS) and complies with the building regulations Part H and eliminates the requirements of H3(3)
Save money by reducing your mains water usage. Ideal if you are on a water meter. The Skeletank® can be used as part of a rainwater harvesting system, to store the recovered rainwater. It is easy to install and use. This unit offers great savings on installation costs and helps towards the environment.
The Skeletank® only requires a very shallow excavation which in most cases is no more than 500mm deep. The Skeletank® can be directly covered with paving blocks, slabs, decking, grass and even tarmac. It is strong enough to be installed below your driveway, paths and patio. There’s no need for a specialist installer. Any competent DIY enthusiast should be able to install the Skeletank®. Installation information can be found on this website and full technical support is available.
When installed one Skeletank® can hold 300 litres and due to its modular nature can be easily added to increasing the storage volume to satisfy any requirement.
Reasons for rainwater harvesting
• Rainwater harvesting displaces a large proportion of the water that would otherwise be provided by the mains supply - thus reducing overall water supply costs. • It can provide an off-mains supply for remote areas.
• It enhance a property and gains Eco-homes rating points.
• It can form part of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS), by reducing storm-water runoff and controlling the flow-rate off site.
• Increasingly planning departments are looking more favourable towards the concept of rainwater harvesting.
Additional considerations for fitting a rainwater collection system to a new/existing property
• The external drainage from the roof needs to be modified to bring the water to a central point. • Internal plumbing is usually required to separate the drinking (incl. bathing) water from the non-drinking water (WC, washing machine & outside tap.
SOAKAWAY
Soakaways are one of the fundamental elements of sustainable drainage systems aka SUDS and are used to drain rainwater directly into the ground without connection to any mains drainage or sewer pipes. As flooding occurrences continue to increase Local Authorities are increasingly enforcing the requirements of the building regulations Part H (H3) that subject to site conditions, a soakaway is the primary means of rainwater disposal for new build and extensions to existing properties..
Skeletank® complies with the building regulations Part H (H3).
Skeletank® is the first proprietary “off-the-shelf” soakaway and allows rainwater to be dealt with "at source" rather than being diverted into our over-burdened sewer systems.
Skeletank® provides the equivalent storage volume when compared to a traditional gravel alternative which would be 3 times the size of a Skeletank® (based on a stone void ratio of 30%)
Skeletank® is a highly efficient soakaway without the same risk of siltation as a gravel alternative. Save money, if the rainwater in your home's drain pipes doesn't flow into the public sewers, you may be able claim a refund from your water bill.
There’s no need for a specialist installer. Any competent DIY enthusiast should be able to install the Skeletank®. Installation information can be found on this website and full technical support is available.
When installed one Skeletank® can hold 300litres and due to its modular nature can be easily added to increasing the storage volume to satisfy any requirement.
Considerations before installing a soakaway to a new/existing property.
Other than having suitable geology, the site of a soakaway must also....... • be lower than the area being drained.
• be a minimum of 5 metres away from any building (BS 8301)
• be situated so that it will not saturate the foundations of any structure.
• be situated so that the base of the soakaway/infiltration device is permanently above the water table.
• be positioned a sufficient distance away from other infiltration devices / soakaways to ensure the performance of those devices is not affected.
• be situated so there is no risk of contamination from pollutants.
ATTENUATION
When it rains the Skeletank® allows the rainwater to be stored temporarily and to be released in a very slow controlled manner. This system reduces the downstream flooding. This philosophy is known as attenuation.
The Skeletank® provides an excellent cost effective plot by plot solution for house builders and homeowners. As the system is modular, multiple units can be linked together to meet the storage requirement for each individual plot.
When installed one Skeletank® can hold 300litres and due to its modular nature can be easily added to increasing the storage volume to satisfy any requirement.
The system is simple and doesn’t require any specialist installers. As the Skeletank® already has a robust watertight shell there is no need for a membrane wrap or protection geotextile. A competent DIYer or Groundworker can install the Skeletank®.
The Skeletank® has an exceptional short term compressive strength of 70tonnes/m2 and can be installed at very shallow depths normally less than 500mm deep directly paving blocks, slabs, decking, grass and even tarmac.
It’s compatible with standard push-fit underground pipes and fittings available from all good DIY stores and builders merchants. Pipe connections are via 2no. 110mmØ stubs.
Proprietary catchpits with integral flow controls are available to compliment the attenuation arrangement.
OIL DRIP TRAY AND CONTAINMENT
The Skeletank Oil Drip Tray (ODT) is a innovative new method to catch and retain oil drips and spillage.
The Skeletank® ODT is unique because it can retain oil but at the same time allow water to pass through to a local drain or soakaway when used in conjunction with the level control treatment sump. This means the Skeletank ODT should never overflow due to inclement weather.
This unique capability addresses the age old problem of pollution spilling out from a surcharged standard oil drip tray due to rainwater.
There is also a secondary backup protection in the form of a Permafilter® oil retention and treatment geotextile layer. The Permafilter® geotextile is a non-woven, dimpled, needle-punched treated geotextile that has been specifically designed to prevent hydrocarbon pollution in civil engineering applications (such as filtration, separation, drainage, protection and reinforcement).
Permafilter® geotextile has special fibres that incorporate oleophobic / hydrophilic (oil repellent/affinity for water) properties which trap hydrocarbons but still allow clean water to pass through. In aerobic circumstances the entrapped hydrocarbons can then be biodegraded by naturally occurring micro-organisms providing a self-cleansing mechanism.
The Skeletank® ODT can effectively hold upto 75litres of oil in normal usage
The Skeletank® ODT is lightweight at 35kg and can be easily moved by 2 people.
It can be used for oil drum storage, refuelling of small plant such as generators and compressors or it can be constructed within a site refuelling compound to protect the environment and eliminate the need for regular tanker visits to remove trapped contaminated rainwater.