DESIGN : DEAR MR PLUMBER
33
Severe drought and the future
We are told that this is only the beginning of what we must get used to for the future , and that water will become increasingly scarce .
By
Vollie Brink , Pr Eng
South Africa will be seriously affected not only by drought , but also by heat and food production becoming a problem . Water is the one commodity that we cannot live without and unfortunately , we cannot ‘ make ’ water in a factory .
People have been talking about the looming water problems and climate change , but in most cases , have done nothing in preparation for it . In the Western Cape , they waited until the drought was upon them , and only then started drilling and looking for water .
A new document is now also suddenly being developed to ‘ conserve water ’.
It seems these water conservation requirements will be relevant for ‘ all new buildings ’; the question is , how much impact will it have on the overall water situation if it is only for new buildings ? The National Building Regulations ( NBR ) only address what is within the building and the premises . In other words , what is within the boundaries of the property .
Everything outside of the boundaries is the property of the municipality and does not fall within the jurisdiction of the NBR . Water is used by people , both in and around their buildings on the premises . This water is piped on the premises and in the buildings and used through fixtures that discharge the water , from where it is used inside the building and outside .
The question is : how do you conserve water both in a building and around a building ? It seems some people concentrate on the point of use where the water is discharged and throttle the flow rate of discharge . This throttling of a tap will not make the user use less water ! To conserve water is a human behavioural issue . Educating people about using less water and perhaps about the cost of water will also motivate people to adapt their behaviour . The fixtures where water usage can be limited by means of the fixture itself is the WC and the shower .
The other successful water conservation tool in the building is the modern washing machine , which uses less water and less energy .
I have already said about water conservation ; I want to talk about water regulations .
After 40 years , we still do not have a section on water under the NBR , but I hope this is the year that something will happen .
The fact that we do not have a part on domestic water in the NBR does not mean that the water systems of all buildings have not been designed , because where real engineers were appointed , the water systems are being designed and constructed by real plumbers . The only difference was ( and still is ) that the drawings are not submitted to the building control officer ( BCO ) and not approved , and there is no record of the drawings held in the office of the BCO , because it is not required by the BCO and the NBR .
The only record of these drawings is the as-built drawings held at the office of the real design engineer and / or at the office of the facilities manager or owner . In rare cases , the plumber would keep drawings for a period .
In many cases , where the facilities manager is no longer employed and a new facilities manager appointed , then the outgoing facilities manager will destroy the drawings or take it with him .
The problem is that the as-built drawings are essential for appropriate operation and maintenance and , more importantly , for extensions and / or alterations .
Engineers are basically only appointed for buildings that are complex , such as large shopping centers , hospitals , hotels , industrial developments , and large and tall buildings , which require a rational design .
A rational design requires a competent engineer for the drainage system and then the water system is included . In many cases , also the fire engineering as a package . In all such cases the engineer designs the systems in terms of SANS 10252-1 ( for the water ) and SANS 10252-2 ( for the sanitary drainage ), and any suitable fire code for the fire engineering .
Vollie Brink
Vollie Brink is one of the industry ’ s longest serving wet service engineers . He continues to serve on SABS committees and has been involved in the Green Building Council Star rating system . Brink continues to consult for various organisations while enjoying a wellearned retirement .
Outside the building , there are a number of methods such as plants and paving . However , I don ’ t want to repeat what
SANS 10252-1 and SANS 10252-2 were originally developed specifically for rational design and as a
Continued on page 35 >>
www . plumbingafrica . co . za March 2018 Volume 24 I Number 1