Millions of litres of water currently used in the maintenance of fire protection systems could be saved annually if water conservation measures recommended in a new handbook from Standards Australia are adopted.
HB 233 — 2008 Fire Protection Systems Testing — Water Conservation Handbook provides building owners, consultants and system designers with recommendations for ways to reduce, re-use or recycle water used to test automatic fire sprinkler systems, hydrants, pumps and hose reels.
The recommendations, which do not compromise the reliability and effectiveness of the tests, include collecting and re-using the water, modifying the frequency of tests and capturing water for recycling.
Easy-to-follow tables included in the handbook show the current average annual water usage for different tests, the amount of water used when the recommended action is adopted and the estimated amount of water that can be saved.
