Case study….Prospect House, Lymington

Although we most commonly install foul water drainage, we are, as our name suggests, experts in all manner of drainage solutions.

We have just received a commission for a bespoke system to supply a potable water system to a 5 bedroomed property together with water for outdoor irrigation.

The property currently receives all its domestic water via a well in the cellar of the house. Unfortunately this being England where we are not known for periods of prolonged good weather, the well has a tendency to overflow, flooding the cellar on a regular basis.

The house is about to undergo renovation work, so the homeowners decided that this would be a good time to tackle the flooding problem. This is where we came in.

Edd Watts, one of our contracts managers with a special interest (and MSc!) in Water Resource Management, was keen to rise to this challenge. He designed a bespoke system, custom made to suit the ground conditions and drainage levels, together with the property’s storage requirements.

An MDPE tank for potable water was to be installed in the grounds – the usual GRP tank not being suitable due to the risk of styrene poisoning. Inside the tank, two ‘Divertron’ pumps with pressure sensors are fitted, which pump water independently to the house and garden. On reaching the house the water goes through a series of micron filters and UV sterilisation to eradicate any bacteria or viruses. This is not necessary for the water to the irrigation system.

The storage capacity required and therefore the size of tank necessary, was calculated taking into account the flow rate of the well, against the usage of the house and irrigation system. The tank is continually refreshed from the well, the refresh rate of which was calculated using summer figures. The tank, therefore, does not need to hold a full day’s supply.

Finally the well was capped off, and a reinforced glass viewing window was fitted into the floor of the now dry cellar.

Should the well run dry, or the electricity supply be lost for a long period, the homeowners have the ability to bypass the tank and switch to a conventional gravity fed system. Either system can run independently of the other, but the two should never be allowed to meet!