The new Sewers Code for Adoption guidance is the most significant change to below ground drainage practice in a generation, providing groundwork contractors and specialists with an opportunity to turn to a wider range of drainage products and systems, according to Polypipe Building Products.
The Sewers Code for Adoption guidance includes a national standardised set of delivery procedures that all water companies in England are working to and a Design and Construction Guidance document that will affect the installation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and below ground drainage systems on all sites.
As of April, it provides contractors with greater flexibility to work with new materials, water management systems and the latest technology.
According to Richard Eddy, Product Manager, Below Ground Drainage, Polypipe Building Products, groundwork specialists have an opportunity to increase their range of skills and services:
“The main focus of the new Sewers Code for Adoption is aimed at increasing the use of hard and soft SuDS at the outset of a development, in response to the rising rainfall in the country, and the recognition that distributing surplus water directly into sewers is unsustainable.
“By placing water management and the control of surface water runoff as an integral part of the design process the new Sewers Code for Adoption offers an opportunity for groundworkers to offer engineering expertise on the overall management of water on a development site from waste water generated by housing units to surface water from rainfall and natural sources.”
Polypipe has an extensive product portfolio of below ground drainage pipes including the UK’s largest range of sewer pipes, fittings and chambers for commercial and residential projects. The pipes are available in diameters from 110mm up to 3,000mm and make installation faster due to the flexibility, strength and easy handling properties.
Polypipe has also been a pioneer in the development of sustainable drainage systems, with geocellular systems such as Polystorm and Permavoid designed to provide housing developers with water storage and attenuation solutions to keep developments safe from localised flooding and to sustainably manage surface water runoff, without increasing the burden on natural water courses and rivers.
Richard Eddy added: “The changes will be most significant to contractors based in the South East where a number of different requirements have been streamlined into one document and one standard set of agreed practices across the water companies.
“As the manufacturer of the most extensive range of plastic-based below ground drainage pipes, fittings and chambers, as well as significant technical expertise in the design, development and delivery of high specification SuDS systems, Polypipe is best placed to advise contractors on how they can work with the growing range of drainage systems and materials now at their disposal. Our below ground drainage technical experts are available to offer consultation and guidance on any project.”
