AU2003100692A4

AU2003100692A4 - Water storage system

Info

Publication number: AU2003100692A4
Application number: AU2003100692A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ian Bryant; Luke De Hayr; Michael Thompson; Alan Villers
Original assignee: CLAYTON INVEST Pty Ltd; Rocla Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CLAYTON INVESTMENTS Pty Ltd; Rocla Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-08-20
Filing date: 2003-08-20
Publication date: 2003-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-20

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Applicants: WATER STORAGE SYSTEM ROCLA PTY LTD and CLAYTON INVESTMENTS PTY LTD The invention is described in the following statement: WATER STORAGE SYSTEM Technical Field The present invention relates to a water storage system. The invention has particular application in a tank storage system designed to collect rainwater for later reuse, and it will be convenient to hereafter describe the invention in this particular context.

Backqround Rainwater storage systems are gaining in popularity in urbanised areas of Australia as extended periods of drought across the country continue to place a strain on the nation's relatively meagre water resources. Rainwater storage systems in the domestic environment enable rainwater to be collected from roof run-off and stored for use as a 'back-up' or auxiliary supply to the regular town water supply. Since approximately 90% of all domestic water consumption does not require the water to be of drinking quality (eg such as the water usage in the garden, bathroom, toilet and laundry), the collection of rainwater for use in these applications can represent a major environmental saving, as well as ultimately providing a cost saving for the user.

Rainwater storage systems typically include a storage reservoir in the form of a tank, which may be installed either above ground or below ground.

For some users, the tank water may only be called into service for use on the garden during dry periods. For others, the tank may be connected to the household plumbing to continually provide an auxiliary water supply to appliances such as the toilet cistern or the washing machine, which do not require drinking-quality water for acceptable operation. In such cases, it is necessary to maintain a minimum operating water level within the tank to ensure that those appliances remain in service. Accordingly, the tank will typically have a mains-water supply line, which is able to 'top-up' the tank if the water level reaches some predetermined minimum.

Such 'top-up' systems typically involve a valve arrangement within the tank to control the amount of mains supply water that is added. If, however, a fault occurs in the top-up valve arrangement, or there is a leak elsewhere in the W:%Georg2aPWG SpeaWalertorage doc tank, the supply of mains water may continue to operate leading to excessive and wasteful use of the mains water and incurring undesired costs.

The present invention is concerned with alleviating this problem, and in particular, at providing a new and improved water storage system. Desirably, the present invention may also be employed with or incorporated into existing water storage systems.

Summary of the Invention Viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides a control arrangement for a water storage system. The water storage system includes a storage reservoir designed to receive and retain rainwater collected from a catchment area, such as the roof of a building, for later use. The control arrangement includes a supply line providing fluid communication to the storage reservoir, a portion of the supply line being adapted to provide visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir.

In the principal embodiment of this invention, the supply line is a mains water supply line for adding to or supplementing the rainwater collected in the storage reservoir.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the relevant portion of the supply line includes a transparent section, which provides ready visual detection by an observer of water flowing through the supply line into the storage reservoir. In this way, a user or operator can quickly and simply at a glance) obtain an indication of whether or not the mains supply is operating to add water to the reservoir. If the mains supply line is seen to be operating at a time it shouldn't be, or is seen to be operating for an excessive period of time, remedial action can be taken by a user to shut off the mains supply line.

in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the relevant portion of the supply line comprises a backflow prevention chamber. The backflow prevention chamber preferably defines an air gap between a mains inlet connection and a storage reservoir intake connection. The backflow prevention chamber typically also includes a reservoir overflow outlet positioned between the mains inlet connection and the reservoir intake. Preferably, at least part of the backflow prevention chamber is fabricated from a transparent material, eg a transparent W.%GeWMb2VWO SPedWmevStGMGe dC polymer resin, which enables an observer to see whether or not water is flowing into the reservoir from the mains inlet connection. An additional overflow pipe from the backflow prevention chamber allows an observer to test the backflow prevention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control arrangement includes valve means for actuating the mains supply line when the water level within the reservoir reaches a predetermined minimum. The control arrangement is adapted to otherwise maintain the mains supply line in an inactive state. Accordingly, the mains supply line preferably includes a shut-off valve that remains closed unless and until the water level within the reservoir reaches the predetermined minimum level.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shut-off valve is automatically controlled, such that once it is actuated to open the mains supply line, it remains open until a predetermined volume of water has been added to the reservoir. The shut-off valve is preferably an electrically controlled valve, such as a solenoid valve.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control arrangement is provided in a housing separate from the storage reservoir. The housing itself preferably includes a transparent panel which enables a user to readily observe the relevant portion of the mains supply line (eg the backflow prevention chamber) that provides the visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir. In this way, it is not necessary for a user to open the control arrangement housing to see whether or not the mains supply line is operating.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservoir is in the form of a tank and the control system includes a sensor device to detect and monitor the water level within the tank. The tank may be of any convenient size, and may range from 200 litres up to 5000 litres, or even more.

Viewed from another aspect, therefore, the present invention also provides a water storage system including a water storage reservoir designed to receive and retain rainwater collected from a catchment area for later use, and a water supply line providing fluid communication to the storage reservoir, the supply line being adapted to provide visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir. As described above, the supply line is typically a mains water W; GeorgiaXPWG SpccaWawrStWae~dcc supply line for adding to or supplementing the rainwater collected in the storage reservoir.

Brief Description of the Drawing For assistance in arriving at a more complete appreciation of this invention, an example of a water storage system according to the invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing. The preceding description of the invention may also be read with reference to that drawing. However, as the drawing illustrates an example only, its particularity is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a control arrangement for a water storage system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a control arrangement 1 for a particularly preferred embodiment of a rainwater storage system according to the invention is shown. The rainwater storage system includes a storage tank (not shown) connected by suitable plumbing to the rooftop guttering of a building for collecting rainwater run-off from the roof-top catchment area.

The control arrangement 1 is specifically designed for controlling the storage and use of the water collected in the storage tank. In particular, the control arrangement includes a pump 2 for taking water from the storage tank via a pipeline 3 and transferring it to the area of domestic application, such as the toilet cistern or laundry washing machine, via a further pipeline 4.

A mains water supply line 5 is in fluid communication with the storage tank in order to 'top-up' the tank in the event that the revel of collected rainwater falls below an acceptable minimum. In other words, if the reserve of water in the tank is becoming low due to a lack of recent rainfall, the mains supply line can be used to add water to the tank so that the appliances operating on the tank water can remain in service.

The main supply line 5 includes a solenoid shut-off valve 6 to control operation of the mains supply, and a backflow prevention chamber 7 to prevent back-flow from the tank in the event of a negative pressure gradient occurring in wAXGeorg~jPWG SpecaW21erStor2gedo the mains water supply (eg due to a fault, such as a burst, in the mains piping).

The backflow prevention chamber 7 defines an air gap between a mains inlet connection 8 and a tank intake connection 9. The anti-syphoning chamber 7 also includes a tank overflow outlet 10 located between the mains inlet connection 8 and the tank intake 9.

An important feature of the invention is the fact that a front panel 11 of the backflow prevention chamber 7 is formed from a transparent material, such as a plastic resin. This enables a user of the rainwater storage system to see at a glance whether or not mains water is flowing through the supply line 5 into the tank. Accordingly, an operator can readily determine whether the mains water is running into the tank at an inappropriate time, or for an excessive period of time, thereby simplifying the detection of any fault in the top-up system.

The control arrangement 1 is typically enclosed in a housing 12 in a convenient location separate from the storage tank. The housing protects the various components of the control arrangement from the weather, especially any electrical components associated with the power supply and the microcontroller unit. Importantly, also, a front panel 13 of the housing desirably includes a transparent portion that enables a user to observe the backflow prevention chamber 7 without needing to open the housing 12.

It is to be understood that various alterations and/or additions may be made to the particular construction and arrangement of the parts of the water storage system described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

WAGewqga\PWG SpecWaterstorage Oc

Claims

1. A water storage system including: a storage reservoir designed to receive and retain rainwater collected from a catchment area for later use; and a control arrangement including a supply line providing fluid communication to the storage reservoir, a portion of the supply line being adapted to provide visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir.

2. A water storage system according to claim 1, wherein the supply line is a mains water supply line for adding to or supplementing the rainwater collected in the storage reservoir with mains supply water.

3. A water storage system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said portion of the supply line includes a transparent section, which provides ready visual detection by an observer of water flowing through the supply line towards the storage reservoir.

4. A water storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said portion of the supply line comprises a backflow prevention chamber, the backflow prevention chamber defining an air gap between a mains inlet and a storage reservoir intake connection and further including a reservoir overflow outlet positioned between the mains inlet connection and the reservoir intake.

5. A water storage system according to claim 4, wherein at least part of the backflow prevention chamber is fabricated from a transparent material.

6. A water storage system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control arrangement is provided in a housing separate from the storage reservoir, and wherein the housing includes a transparent panel which enables a user to readily observe that portion of the mains supply line that provides visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir. W.\CsorgiaLPWG SpecfWaterSorage.doc

7. A control arrangement for a water storage system, the water storage system including a storage reservoir designed to receive and retain rainwater collected from a catchment area; the control arrangement including a supply line providing fluid communication to the storage reservoir, a portion of the supply line being adapted to provide visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir.

8. A control arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the supply line is a mains water supply line for adding to or supplementing the rainwater collected in the storage reservoir with mains supply water.

9. A control arrangement according to claim 8 wherein said portion of the supply line includes a transparent section providing ready visual detection by an observer of water flowing through the supply line towards the storage reservoir.

A control arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the transparent section is formed in a backflow prevention chamber, the backflow prevention chamber defining an air gap between a mains inlet and a storage reservoir intake connection and further including a reservoir overflow outlet positioned between the mains inlet connection and the reservoir intake.

11. A control arrangement according to any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the control arrangement is provided in a housing remote from the storage reservoir, and wherein the housing includes a transparent panel which enables a user to readily observe that portion of the mains supply line that provides visual detection of water flowing into the storage reservoir.

12. A water storage system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing. PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: ROCLA PTY LTD and O a1 CLAYTON INVESTMENTS PTY LTD W:1GeorgaPWG SpecWaterStorage.doc