The Brief:

To reinstate an elderly lined reservoir to full capacity for glasshouse roof water capture.  Water to supply the bulk of irrigation requirements for soft fruit production.

The Process:

New Leaf Irrigation were asked to attend site and work out a schedule of works that would result in reinstatement of the reservoir.

The existing liner was leaking in numerous places, and the top was shredded so that less than half the potential volume could be utilised.  The levee walls were badly undermined and honey combe eroded, so that a simple reline could not be undertaken.  The following plan emerged:

By staff on site:

• Removal of the old liner and Polypropylene bank protection.
• Carefully lowering of the crumbling and acutely shaped levees from the inside of the reservoir using swing shovels.  The new stabilised levees were lowered.  The new levee had a wider top platform to allow access for a new liner retention trench to be dug.
• To regain the volume lost, the reservoir base was deepened by a meter and the banks regraded.
• A simple reservoir bottom drain pipe was inserted through the levee wall under the liner, to drain excess ground water to outside the reservoir.

By Fairwater Ltd:

• Laying of nonwoven 250g/m² geotextile underlay and then onsite installation of approx. 3,000m² Firestone 1.1mm GeoGard™ EPDM liner.  This was laid in 15m panels and cold fabricated in situ.  No welding was required.
• Insertion of one pipe transition through the liner as an overflow.
• Incoming pipework lay on top of the levee walls.

The Result:

The extension of the life of the reservoir for a potential further 20-years under the liners warranty.

The captured water represents both a reduction in water bills ... on site water security in the event of outside water delivery failure, and finally, compliance with Environment Agency to attenuate excess water off new building structures in a controlled manner.

Conclusion:

TNew Leaf Irrigation offer practical advice, equipment packages and industry connections to contractors in the realm of commercial rain water harvesting.

These are balanced and calculated taking into consideration potential rain yield and demand for water found on site.