Ecological Design Consultants - Water Saving

Sustainable Ecological Design for homes

Water Saving We offer services to help you reduce your mains water usage. These include: - Design and specification of rainwater systems based on local rainfall and your projected water usage - Selection and specification of greywater re-use systems - Advice about water efficient appliances and fixtures Rainwater Harvesting System Design Rainwater can replace some or all of your mains water supply. Factors influencing the design of your rainwater harvest system include the available roof area, what uses you want the water for, the local rainfall pattern and your budget. We collect this information from plans and site inspections, consultation, and long-term daily rainfall data from the Bureau of Meteorology. We run a detailed daily water balance model to inform the decisions about tank sizing, roof collection area, and usage volumes. This analysis ensures you end up with the best combination of tank size and roof collection area. For a sample summary of the output from our water balance model click here. (pdf reader required) We also conduct hydraulic analysis to size the collection system, the pumps and the delivery pipe work. Specification Rain harvesting systems include the collection, storage, filtration, and supply of water collected from the roof. The best components for each part of this system vary between jobs. We prepare a report specifying all the components from roof to water fixture so that the rainwater delivered is fit for the chosen purpose. We have developed many innovative solutions to our clients' various water rainwater collection needs.
Greywater Reuse Systems Greywater is wastewater from the shower, bath, washing machine and hand basin. Greywater can be re-used untreated for garden irrigation or treated and disinfected for toilet flushing, laundry and outdoor use. We assess whether greywater reuse is an appropriate part of your water saving strategy, based on water balance modelling, and specify the most appropriate system for your needs. We can also assist with obtaining the necessary approvals. Greywater reuse systems have been divided into two types; Diversion Systems Treatment Systems Diversion Systems These systems typically cost approx. $1000 to $5000 and include: - a manual diversion valve - a lint screen - a surge tank - sub-surface irrigation system The water must be used or disposed of to sewer within 24 hours. Treatment Systems These systems typically cost approx. $10,000 to $15,000 installed and include: - automatic collection of greywater - treatment and (typically)disinfection of the greywater - some storage and pressurised delivery of treated water Treated disinfected water water may be stored and supplied to toilet flushing, washing machine and surface irrigation. The NSW Guidelines for Greywater Reuse in Sewered, Single Household Residential Premises originally produced by DEUS summarises the regulation of Greywater reuse in NSW. This informative booklet can be downloaded here as a pdf.
Water-efficient Appliances and Fixtures We advise on where and where not to use water-efficient appliances and fixture. We specify systems and components to avoid pitfalls with hot water waiting time and pressure balancing problems caused by the use of water-efficient appliances.
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