Water Wise:
This new page on our web site is designed as a library of relevent and relative information for practioners in the water industry and water users, simply click on the underlined words and follow the link; if you have any comment, please email to sales@groundbreaker.co.uk.
Back Flow prevention (anti siphonage)
this might not seem important, but imagine what would happen if contaminated material got into the drinking water supply - either on the property being served or worse still the public drinnking water supplies.
The UK water industry is very well regulated in this respect with the Drinking Water Inspectorate backed up by local Enivonmental Health offices being tasked to monitor water quality.
Having said that, there is no room fopr complacency in managing water services and WRAS the Water Regulator applied stringent rules and regulations to manufacturers, installers and anyone involved in the provision of water services, which means a few simple precautions can aleviate a major public health alert, to download a copy of the Water Regulations document on backflow prevention, click here.
Our products in common with all boundary box manufacturers have a single check valve in them to stop back flow in "normal" conditions, but there are time when addition protection is required, in these cases a "double check valve" is required, this will provide protection to most "domestic" and light commercial situations, heavy industrial or processes may require specific solutions, in which case consult with your local water company.
Unlike other manufacturers, our NRv2 product is designed to add "whole site" protection to water services for a fraction of the cost of a traditional boundary box or in line fitting, have a look at the product detail in our "Products" section.
Water re-sale.
Very pertinent at the moment, as Ofwat, the Water Regulator recently re-issued guidance notes about water re-sale, which affects any location where water is purchased in bulk (by site management) then sold on to third parties e.g. Park Homes and Caravans.
Essentially site amanagement should not profit from water re-sale although they are allowed to cover overheads and maintenance of supply systems.
From 1st January 2012 HMRC will remove the "concession" on the application of VAT on water services to park homes; however, if a property has the benefit of a water meter, the Vat is ZERO - anything else is charged at standard rate (20%)
Park management are allowed to charge 2.5p per day to read the water meter and to raise bills accordingly.
Have look at Groundbreaker NEWS page and follow the link on KINGS PARK to see our piece on how site management can add services to water supply.
Please contact us for further details.
Lead pipe work.
In 2013 the EU will enforce its directive to reduce the permisable amount of lead in drinking water (plumbsovency) to 10 parts per million from its current level of 25ppm.
Whilst all water companies take steps to reduce the lead in drionking water (as monitored by DWI - note above) the ionly sustainable solution is to remove lead pipes altogether.
Given that lead was used for pipes as recently as the mid 1960's it could ltreally be "anywhere".
If found we would recomend you contact our water company or one of our approved contractors for specific technical advise, they would be able to provide you with a quote for carrying out any works necessary which if using our product range should be without the traumas usually associated with water pipe replacements.