BREEAM WATER DETECTION

CMR Electrical design BREEAM Water Detection units to detect major water leaks within a building. If required, our leak detection systems also detect leaks in the mains water supply, between the utility companies meter and the building’s boundary. Our BREEAM water detection systems meet the requirements of the BREEAM Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). This enables clients to achieve 1 credit for meeting WAT02 (water monitoring) and 2 credits for WAT03 (automatic flow control). This article explores in more detail what BREEAM is all about and how CMR Electrical is helping meet these requirements.

Introduction on what is BREEAM?

The construction industry widely uses BREEAM, which stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It was first launched in 1990 by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as a way of assessing new offices. Today its focus has expanded to promote the use of ‘green technology’ in building construction. Ensuring buidlings are more sustainable and have less harmful impact on the environment. Further information on how to achieve BREEAM credits can be found on the official BREEAM website.

Benefits of meeting BREEAM standards

There is a huge financial incentive for Property Developers to meet BREEAM standards. Buildings that meet BREEAM criteria are more desirable and result in quicker sales. It also benefits Landlords and Tenants because refurbishment costs are cheaper as a consequence of using more efficient heating systems and using less water.

BREEAM provides social benefits. Over 71% of people surveyed by the UK Green Building Council reported that it had been socially beneficial to their project. One of the most popular reasons why was the improved image as a result of having BREEAM certification.

BREEAM has had a positive impact on the environment. It increases the focus on minimizing construction waste, reducing CO₂ emissions, and improving the surrounding wildlife habitat.

How widespread is BREEAM?

Meeting BREEAM criteria has increased at a very fast rate over the last 5 years. There are over 600,000 developments around the world that have now been certified by BREEAM. This has had a huge benefit to the environment. Over 2.5 million buildings have now conformed to BREEAM standards. At least half of all local planning authorities in England now encoporate BREEAM assessment as part of their development network. This rises significantly to over 70% of authorities in London, UK.

How does CMR electrical help meet BREEAM criteria

CMR Electrical have an excellent understanding of how its technology can help customers comply with the BREAAM assessment method. We offer BREEAM compliant water leak detection systems that meet the following criteria:

BREEAM WAT02 water monitoring.
One credit – ‘leak detection system capable of detecting a major water leak on the mains water supply within the building and between the building and the utilities water meter’

BREEAM WAT 03 automatic flow control.
One credit – ‘detecting a major water leak on the mains water supply within the building and between the building and the utilities water meter’’

To achieve these standards CMR Electrical have designed several different BREEAM water detection units that can meet a variety of needs. This includes the BLDA1-2, BLDA-2 leak dection alarms and the BPIR water shut-off system.

BLDA1-2 Leak Detection

The BLDA1-2 is an excellent choice for buildings requiring water monitoring and automatic flow control. By installing this unit it will help manage and encourage reductions in water consumption.

The alarm unit is connected to a pulsed output water meter installed to the main incoming water supply. The system monitors the flow of water through the buildings meter and raises an alarm when it exceeds a pre-set flow rate. If a water valve is fitted, the BLDA1-2 panel will shut off the water supply, thus preventing further damage to the building or area. The BLDA1-2 system is fully user programmable with output alarms, pulsed output repeats that can be used by a Building Management System.

For more information on the BLDA1-2 system follow this web link.

BLDA-2 Leak Detection

The drawing below shows how a BLDA-2 unit would be fitted to a building. The BLDA-2 system is different to the BLDA1-2 because it has two water meters and not one. The advantage of this is alarm system is that it can identify whether the water leak is outside the building from a burst mains water pipe or inside. The BLDA-2 system is fully programmable with output alarms, pulsed output repeats that can be used by a BMS. By setting realistic flows and time periods, any increase above the user defined settings will trigger an alarm. Optional water shut-off valves, a flashing alarm beacon, and an SMS text messaging unit can be provided.

BPIR Water Shut-Off System

The BPIR Water Shut-Off system consists of an infra-red controller and one or more motorised ball valves. The BPIR turns off water flow during non-occupied periods in areas such as changing rooms, WC, or any wet area. This reduces the chance of water leaks and wastage due to faulty taps or toilets. The system opens the water valve when a person enters the room and closes it when it senses that the room has been empty for a set period, preventing wasted water.

The BPIR system is very flexible as a variety of valves and different sensors can be added to ensure full coverage of the area.

For more information on how the BPIR can meet you needs follow this link.

For more information on BREEAM WATER DETECTION talk to CMR Electrical