Waterscan has been selected to provide a sustainable water system for The City Law School, part of City, University of London following a competitive tender. Set to open in early 2019, sustainability principles feature highly in this building scheme which aims to contribute positively to its local context: it will comprise a car-free zone, secure cycle parking and tree planting alongside water reuse.
Barry Millar, Operations Director at Waterscan, commented: “The London Plan encourages the reuse of water and we worked through various options for this project including greywater recycling to intelligent attenuation. Tight space onsite led to us recommending and creating a bespoke combined rainwater harvesting and attenuation system: an exceptionally cost effective solution when balancing spatial and environmental considerations.”
The standalone rainwater harvesting system, operating in conjunction with attenuation water storage, will collect and store rainwater, filter it through a robust treatment system and reuse it for non-potable applications including toilet flushing. Not only will its deployment contribute to London’s long term urban infrastructure planning and sustainable development goals, but it will also deliver ongoing cost savings for the client through the substitution of mains water for rainwater. It is estimated that City, University of London will save around £4,500 each year by adopting this approach.
Rainwater harvesting systems are suitable for all commercial applications where there is adequate roof space to harvest sufficient water to achieve a good return on investment. They can reduce mains water consumption by up to 30% with additional benefits arising from reducing risks of stormwater flooding, decreased sewerage charges and lower energy costs associated with water supply.
