ing OSD Why Install w H om es Tanks in Ne
? t n a t r o So Imp
Anybody who plans on building a new home in Australia must fulfill a few requirements from their local council. While the rules vary depending on the location, one that remains mostly consistent is stormwater detention. Stormwater refers to the rainwater that reaches the ground surface.
As storms are common in Australia, a heavy downpour could generate a significant amount of stormwater, increasing the risk of floods. As residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are increasing by the day, there is constant pressure on existing underground drainage infrastructure.
Because of this reason, several councils are considering the idea of increasing the general capacity of the existing drainage to manage the increased stormwater flow. As councils aren’t able to deal with this problem all by themselves, the burden can often fall upon homeowners to ensure that the stormwater runoff in their property is more manageable.
STORMWA HOW DOES
DRAINAGE
TER
WORK?
While developing and designing a property, a stormwater design is generated. Most houses tend to have e OSD tanks that are a part of the hom drainage system. A few of them are concrete basins or water tanks beneath the driveways that capture stormwater runoff and hold it to reduce the impact of flooding. ly The water that’s stored is drained slow r from a tiny opening that’s present nea the tank’s base. When most homes located in flood-prone areas have detention systems, it is possible to significantly minimize damage caused . by the floods during the peak season
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF O NSITE
STORMWAT
ER DETENT ION
There are mainly four optio ns available for onsite stormwater deten tion –
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Underground Storage Tank s – These tanks are designed as a pa rt of the rainwater harvesting system to store excess water that overflow s from a rainwater tank. They can also be placed below driveways to receiv e more stormwater runoff. Stormwater Detention Tank s – These tanks are specially designe d to have split storage inside them; one is to store stormwater and the other for rainwater. Rainwater Tanks – Though the water cannot drain away slowly , large storage tanks can help in satisfying some of the council requirements. Surface Holding Areas – These would include soakage pits, basin s, swimming pools, or trenches.
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KEY DIFFE REN
RAINWATE
CE BETWE EN
R AND OS D TANKS
New houses that are in areas whe re councils need homeowners to hav e the responsibility of helping with stormwater would require OSD tan ks. What detention means is to store water for a limited period. These tanks are designed to stay empty , except during heavy rainfall and shortly after that. What makes these tanks different from rainwater tanks is that they come with a valve to release the water slowly over time. There are two way s to implement a stormwater detent ion solution –
●Use two separate water tanks, one
for stormwater detention and the other to harvest rainwater. Use a specially designed dual-u se water detention system.
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Information sources : https://www.versatiletanks.com.au/
CONCLUS
ION
g The rules and regulations surroundin stormwater detention can vary ther. significantly from one location to ano the Hence, it is important to discuss with local council before investing in any stormwater detention system.