Amanda Mills, Marketing Manager, Saniflo Ltd, discusses building regulations when installing a macerator, pump or lifting station for any project requiring waste discharge.
Whilst macerators and lifting stations may not represent the glamorous side of the plumbing sector, they are nonetheless, some of the most useful products out there. Love them or hate them, they are transforming unused spaces and helping to add extra facilities to buildings all over the UK. And the largest units are taking waste from whole buildings whose facilities are below the level of the public mains drains.
Building Regulations approval is a statutory requirement set by the Government in order to ensure that buildings are designed and constructed in accordance with regulations and associated legislation. Projects that require approval include:
- Erection of a new building
- Extension or alteration of an existing building
- Loft conversions
- Plumbing, drainage and ventilation windows, and fuel-burning appliances of any type.
- Many types of electrical works on buildings.
Building Regulations are designed to protect the health and safety of building users and for projects that require a macerator, pump and/or lifting station it is mandatory to adhere to Part G and Part H. While plumbers, contractors and installers should be fully aware of the regulations, it is incumbent on the customer to ensure compliance.
Part G and Part H Building Regulations
Part G covers sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency. And, when adding facilities and discharging to a drain, part 4.24 is the key regulation to understand;
A WC fitted with a macerator and pump may be connected to a small bore drainage system discharging to a discharge stack if:
- There is also access to a WC discharging directly to a gravity system
- The pump meets the requirements of BS EN 12050-1:2001
Part 5.10 stipulates that a sanitary appliance used for personal washing fitted with a macerator and pump may be connected to a small bore drainage system discharged to a discharge stack if:
- There is also access to washing facilities discharging directly to a gravity system
- The macerator and pump meet the requirements of BS EN 12050-2:2001
Part H covers drainage & waste disposal and the important stipulations for pumps:
2.36 Where gravity drainage is impractical, a pumping solution will be needed
2.37 This should conform to BS EN 12050 in basements and BS EN 12056-4 for pumps located inside buildings
2.38 Lifting station/pump installations for outside buildings should refer to BS EN 752 – 6 for guidance on design
2.39 where foul water is to be pumped, the effluent receiving chamber should be sized to contain a 24hr inflow to allow for disruption in service. The minimum daily discharge of foul drainage should be taken as 150 litres per head per day for domestic use. For other types of building the capacity of the receiving chamber should be based on the calculated daily demand of the water intake for the building. Where only a proportion of the foul sewage is to be pumped, then the capacity should be pro-rata. In all pumped systems the controls should be arranged to optimise operation.
Saniflo has developed a CIBSE-approved CPD programme which is designed to discuss and offer technical training on macerators and lifting stations for commercial and domestic buildings, including regulations. Appointments can be booked via [email protected]
Guest blog provided by #MemberModay Saniflo