Tall building trend leading to water pressure challenges, says Dutypoint

The growing trend for tall buildings in London will present challenges for M&E specialists when it comes to maintaining water pressure and supply, according to speakers at an event organised by Dutypoint, manufacturer of water pressure and conditioning systems.

The company invited speakers from property consultants GL Hearn, who also co-author the annual London Tall Buildings Survey, and engineering consultants Mech2O, to speak to an audience of M&E consultants.

James Cook, planning director at GL Hearn, highlighted the extent of the capital’s tall building trend with the results of the 2015 London Tall Buildings Survey, revealing there are 263 tall buildings of more than 20 storeys currently in the pipeline of which 81% are for residential use.

Simon Whatley, former principal mechanical engineer with Thames Water and now director at Mech2O, explained the impact such development could have on London as a water-stressed area, and the obligations of water utility companies and contractors in providing adequate water supply and pressure.

Robert Freeman, director at Dutypoint, said: “It was an interesting topic as the proliferation of tall buildings in London has been the cause of much debate, both positive and negative, over the last couple of years.

“We’re already working with many M&E consultants to help them solve problems a building with more than just five storeys presents in relation to maintaining water pressure. Utility companies are only required to provide the minimum pressure (usually 1 bar) to the ground floor so our booster systems are helping to ensure this is sustained throughout all floors of a building.”

Dutypoint manufacture WRAS approved solutions that are designed to address water pressure issues in tall buildings. Guests at the event were able to see two of these first hand, an integrated tank and booster, the ScubaTANK WX, and a traditional cold water booster, the VR Ultra Compact Twin Pump Variable Speed Booster.