Northumbrian Water to use rain, not the main
26 February 2019
Northumbrian Water has begun installing rainwater harvesting tanks around some of its larger offices, to collect and store rainfall from the roof of the buildings.
Capable of holding up to 2,300 litres each (or around 28 bath tubs full), the tanks are used by the company′s jetting fleet, who fill up their specialised vehicles with the rainwater, instead of using clean, drinking water to flush out the sewers.
In 2018, around 12,000 blockages had to be cleared across the North East, made up of things wrongly put down the drains, including wet wipes, fats, oils and greases.
Often these blockages can be cleared by shooting a jet of high-pressured water through the sewer network to break up the clog, which also cleans out the inside of the pipe to prevent further build-up and damage.
However, using drinking water isn′t the most sustainable method and while climate change threatens to limit water resources, it can also bring about more frequent flooding…..
