Best Practices for Environmentally Sustainable Drainage

A high-quality drainage solution can greatly reduce one’s negative impact on our waterways. Consistent drain flow will ensure material debris and pollutants are not collected, absorbed and conveyed during heavy downpours. Nevertheless, drainage positioning, installation and build quality all significantl impact on the quality of outflows. Here is a list of practices Environmentally Sustainable Drainage inspired by Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD):

Ensure impervious surfaces (e.g. paved areas) are graded during construction to drain to vegetated areas.
Detain stormwater on your block where practicable; use permeable paving, pebble paths, infiltration trenches, soakwells, lawns and garden areas to soak up excess water flows.
Be extremely judicious in your use of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides.
To prevent land erosion and dispersal of soils, position drains on slight gradients.
Look for quality drainage products; ensure non- toxic, non-oxidising and durable constructions (preferably stainless steel) that won’t leach harmful chemicals into the environment.

Stormtech takes a boldly holistic approach to their designs; the WSUD standard is a guiding philosophy in the design, manufacture and installation of all Stormtech products. This ensures not only the highest standards in workmanship, but a commitment to maximising the quality of water discharged through our drainage systems.

Whitepapers

Choose from our collection of White Papers produced for Stormtech products and services.

Beyond The Building Code

Building codes play a significant role in determining a building's long-term quality, safety, and energy efficiency. In Australia, this is fulfilled by the National Construction Code (NCC), which specifies the minimum necessary requirements for safety, health, amenity, and sustainability in the design and construction of new buildings (and new building work in existing buildings). Design and construction choices affect operational performance and maintenance costs during the lifetime of the building. Building codes, such as the NCC, help designers and builders “get it right” from the start. Once installed, some building components may be replaceable or upgradeable, but some aspects of how the building performs are “baked” into the design. This is especially the case for plumbing and waterproofing. Due to various factors—from stronger fire safety regulations to higher expectations for liveability—building regulations have grown more onerous in recent years. This, along with increases in the cost of materials and labour, has seen the cost of construction rise to some of the highest levels we have ever seen. “Chasing the minimum” is the default stance many architects, designers, and builders take when faced with the need to increase margins and deliver projects on schedule. This practice involves constructing buildings to the bare minimum, following the regulatory requirements to the letter, and making no attempt to exceed the performance level or specification set by the standard—even if doing so would result in better building performance over the long run. Is this a mistake?

Tried and Tested: Exploring Issues with Building Product Certification

With the rising cost of construction and supply chain issues across the globe, all parties in the building and procurement process need to be on guard and informed of the risks of products that fail to meet performance claims or fall short of Australian standards. Understanding the regulatory pathways used to ensure product conformance is especially important given the expanding variety of new and innovative products that are being sold. Product certification is a tool that can be used to ensure a product is compliant and fit-for-purpose, but the landscape is more complex than it appears. Tried and Tested: Exploring Issues with Building Product Certification is a useful guide to building product certification schemes and how they can help you reduce risk. We explain what certification means in relation to building products and provide examples of certification schemes relevant to the Australian building sector, including WaterMark. We discuss some potential misuses of certification to help building and design professionals avoid the most common pitfalls. We also look at several effective ways to reduce the risks associated with incorrect product specification. All Stormtech drains are Watermark certified for use in Australia. Stormtech is also the only drainage manufacturer with GreenTag Level A Gold certification, which is the product rating certification approved by the Green Building Council of Australia. Stormtech works proactively with plumbing advisory services to ensure drainage remains fully compliant with NCC regulations and Australian standards and exceeds the minimums to ensure not only fit for purpose, but reliability and durability.

Livable Housing Provisions & Level Threshold Compliance

Drainage maintains a straightforward but crucial function: making sure water can be removed from the property effectively, safely, and efficiently. This is not only important in bathrooms to avoid pooling water and unsafe conditions, but also in the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. An effective drainage system prevents water ingress by draining it away, all the while ensuring a level transition between the two spaces. The National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 edition has new provisions that will make new Australian homes more suitable for people with mobility issues. New livable housing design requirements are included in the updated Code, changing the way we design homes to make them easier to use and more adaptable to the changing needs of occupants. Based on the Livable Housing Design Guidelines (silver level), first published by Livable Housing Australia, these new requirements represent a significant improvement in the housing options available to older Australians and those with physical disabilities. In practice, this entails eliminating steps whenever possible, creating more room in the bathroom, enlarging doorways, and making provisions for future modifications like the installation of grab rails.

Going Local Amid the Global Supply Chain Crisis

When designing and manufacturing plumbing and drainage systems in Australia, one of the first decisions you have to make is whether to make the product locally or outsource it from overseas. While the industry assumption is that it is more cost effective to manufacture offshore, this is not necessarily the case given the current instability in global supply chains.

Safety Lessons - A Specifier's Guide to Creating Safe & Sustainable Educational Facilities

In this whitepaper, we provide a concise look at the design standards that apply to schools in Australia and examine the key considerations when specifying for these facilities, with a particular focus on child-specific safety risks and sustainability requirements. In doing so, we provide designers and specifiers with the essential knowledge they need to create safe and sustainable learning spaces that meet the needs of a wide variety of end users.

Considerations When Selecting a Sustainable Drainage Provider

Amidst the rapidly expanding local and global construction sectors, sustainability is a key concern. Architects and specifiers must navigate a tricky terrain of mandatory regulation and compliance hurdles, coupled with growing social pressure and, importantly, their own drive to make a positive impact on the world. With growing numbers of home buyers and renters concerned about the sustainability credentials of their dwellings and increasingly willing to pay more for sustainable residences, the writing is on the wall. Architects and specifiers continue to rise to the challenges of increasingly sustainable architecture and now lead the charge with ever-more innovative solutions. This whitepaper will provide a detailed overview of factors for consideration by architects and specifiers when choosing a renowned, industry-leading drainage supplier to deliver effective sustainable drainage solutions.

Aging In Place

New homes that are being built now by first or second time homeowners are likely to be the homes that they live in into old age. New builds need to prioritise safety, accessibility and comfort to meet the needs of occupants now and into the future. Among the key design priorities include, eliminating trip hazards, mobility considerations and facilitating daily living activities such as bathing, grooming and cooking. If such requirements are not considered early, the homeowner will face costly house modifications as they age.

Style and Function: Specifying linear drainage systems for the hospitality industry

For the past five years, the Australian hospitality industry enjoyed a sustained period of growth. Buoyed by high tourist numbers and plentiful investment, it moved from strength to strength - and naturally a strong foundation of hospitality-focused architectural projects accompanied the boom. However the global economic havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the industry - both in real terms and in short-term growth potential. At the time of writing, in March 2020, businesses are closing, full rosters of employees being laid off and future investment in the sector has all but dried up as the world waits to see just how protracted the fallout will be.

Form and Function- Current Bathroom trends

Bathrooms may not be where the majority of anyone’s time is spent, but they do adopt a particularly important role within our homes with their baseline purposes of hygiene and waste management. This has been recognised by the industry, which has shifted its focus towards the development of products that place equal weighting on functionality and aesthetics. Form and Function: Current Trends in Bathroom Design examines a variety of the industry’s current concerns, and how they are reflected in the products currently being produced. These issues include sustainable design, healthy living, comfort and personalisation, digital and technological integration, as well as reducing maintenance requirements. By tackling these issues, current products are tapping into an area of development that moves past innovation for its own sake – instead creating long-term value for clients.

Tips to avoid a Tiling Disaster

While tiles are one of the main visual elements of any bathroom or outdoor area, understanding their role in a much larger system is imperative in order to avoid a tiling disaster. Rather than being an isolated product, tiling from a practical perspective makes up only one portion of drainage and waterproofing, complementary to substrates, waterproofing membranes, sanitary ware, tap ware and the drainage itself. A failure to address all of these components as a system can lead to the leakage of water into floor spaces or wall cavities, causing incredible amounts of damage before any physical evidence of such reveals itself.

Best Practices for Environmentally Sustainable Drainage