AU2004100990A4

AU2004100990A4 - Roads and pavement areas as an alternative rainwater catchment

Info

Publication number: AU2004100990A4
Application number: AU2004100990A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Robert Richards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-22
Filing date: 2004-11-22
Publication date: 2004-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-22

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Actl990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

INNOVATION

PATENT

ROADS AND PAVEMENT AREAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE RAIN WATER

CATCHMENT

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

o The invention is described in the following statement o ROADS AND PAVEMENT AREAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE RAIN Z WATER CATCIHMENT The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

o TECHNICAL FIELD The innovative step provides an alternative rainwater catchment o system using existing roads and pavement areas as opposed to the rainwater catchment areas in the hills or mountains feeding into manmade dams.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Australia is an extremely dry continent with dams built on all the main river systems. These dams have caused major problems for farms, irrigation and communities living along these river systems.

A high percentage of the Australian population lives within a band kilometres wide around the Australian coastline. The highest rainfall annually falls within this 50 kilometre wide band.

In modern society the population moves and is interrelated by means of a labyrinth of roads and large paved areas for ease of travel. Travel refers to all forms of wheeled vehicles and walkingroads and paved areas use base materials of concrete and bitumen mixed with crush rock.

Roads and paved areas provide a vast catchment area for rainwater in all towns and cities. Infrastructure to collect this rainwater is extensively in place. Culverts, stormwater drains, underground pipes, diversion streams are now used to divert water into the sea. Header tanks to give water pressure to each community and distribution pipes to all private homes, commercial and industrial buildings are already in place. A limited number of storage faciliies are available.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION To divert a percentage of this rainwater which now flows out to sea into a Z series of ponds, dams, weirs or tanks for storage around the entire Australian coastline.

A number of these water reservoirs can be interconnected with a plurality o of pipes. Some are gravity fed with stop valves. Water supply is controlled by a government water authority.

o The water is divided into two supplies. The first supply is classed as not S suitable for drinking, which provides water for industrial, commercial and horticultural purposes, also many uses outside the private home.

The second water supply can be filtered through water purifiers in each local area to provide clean rainwater to hospitals and medical facilities, to private homes and where food is prepared.

Concerns will be raised about road pollution. There are two main contaminants.

Oil from all road vehicles and carbon black with rubber tyres. Both do not mix with water. Oil can be skimmed from the water by floating booms before it enters the water reservoirs.

In the case where there could be chemical spills, a cofferdam or a weir can be built upstream from the main reservoir.

Trash barriers will prevent major forms of debris entering the main reservoir.

All water reservoirs will be provided with a welt or silt trap.

Councils are using trash baskets in storm water drains extensively, A final objection is "road kill". This objection is because people can see it.

In nature death occurs in all our catchment areas by animals, birds and insects. All forms of life are up to 90% water therefore "road kill" cannot be considered a pollutant.

0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Z Figure 1 Illustrates a two lane roadway 3 with spoon drains 1 on either ci side to collect rainwater. The use of said spoon drains 1 allows vehicular traffic to pull to the side of the roadway 3 at any time for parking or any o other purpose. Generally two lane roads 3 have a crown 2. A diversion channel 5 flows water into a holding water reservoir S Figure 2 Illustrates a mumt lane roadway 3 with said spoon drains on either side to collect rainwater. Generally a median strip 6 is provided to separate vehicles travelling in opposite directions. A kerb 41is placed on the high side of the road 3 to divert rainwater. The said diversion channel flows water into said holding water reservoir Figure 3 Illustrates a section of roadway 3 providing a rainwater catchment area diverting water into four types of water reservoirs 10. Culverts 7 are provided to divert water under roadways.

The said water reservoirs are: 13 Ponds, 14 Weirs on Streams 17, dams, 18 above or below ground tanks.

Figure 4 Illustrates a well 9, placed upstream from a water reservoir The purpose of the well 9 is to protect the reservoir 10 from trash, chemical spills and to act as a sift trap. Water flows via said channel 5 into well 9. A trash basket 11 is placed into the well 9 to collect sift and debris.

An oil collection boom 12 is shown on the said water channel 5. Water flows over the well outlet 8 into the reservoir Figure 5 A diagrammatic layout of pump 18 transferring water from reservoir 10 via pipe 19 to header tank 20. This water is classed as unsuitable for drinking. An outlet pipe 26 supplies this water for industrial, commercial and horticuftural uses.

o An outlet pipe 21 transfers water from header tank 20 to a water purifier 0 system 22. Outlet pipe 23 transfers pure drinking water to a second header tank 24. The outlet pipe 25 is connected to the existing clean water Z infrastructure to supply all local communities.

Figure 8 Illustrates the basic layout for collecting water from a paved area o 27 where mhere are large building complexes, or such large areas as the central business district or netball courts.

o A perimeter kerb 4 with the said spoon drain I on the inside collects the diverting the water into the said 'open channel 5. Culverts 7 are under driveways 28.

Grated open drains 29 feed rainwater to underground pipes 30 which flow into said well 9 then overflow into channel 5 feeding said reservoir 10. The reservoir 10 is either a pond 13 or a dam Figure 7 Illustrates the basic layout for collecting water from a car park 36.

perimeter kerb 4 diverts water on said paved area 27 into grated open drains 29 feeding rainwater into said underground pipes 30 which flow into well 9 then overflows into said channel 5 feeding reservoir 10. The reservoir 10 is either said pond 13 or said dam 15. An open channel 5 in front of the car park allows additional water to flow into said culverts 7 under driveways 28 into well 9 mhen overflows into said channel 5 feeding reservoir 10. The reservoir 10 is either said pond 13 or said dam o Figure 8 Illustrates the basic layout for collecting rainwater from a very 0 large catchment area combining the roads 3 and paved areas 27 in an industrial complex. The said industrial complex houses a mixture of Z warehouses 31 large and small factories 32 and service centres. Said kerbs 4 and guittering or spoon drains 1 are not shown. Said grated open drains 29 feeding rainwater into underground pipes 30 which flows into o well 9 then overflows into channel 5 feeding reservoir 10. The said reservoir 10 is either a pond 13 or a dam 15. Said culverts 7 are provided o where surface drains cross driveways 28 or roadways 3.

Figure 9 Illustrates a suggested layout for collecting rainwater from an airport. The variables would require an extensive engineering exercise.

The runways 33 use either spoon drains I or grated open drains 29 feeding underground pipes 30. An open drain 5 follows the perimeter fence 39 with a kerb 4. A culvert 7 is provided to continue the open drain 16 5 on the perimeter fence in front of the end of the runway The underground pipes 30 feed into a well 19 then overflow into channel feeding said reservoir 10. Roadway 3 passes the airport terminal.

Aircraft taxiways 37 link the aircraft marshalling areas 27 to the main runways 33. The marshalling area 27 extends to the aircraft hangers The runway 33 together with the aircraft marshalling area 27, the airport terminal 34 and the car park 36 provide an extensive rainwater catchment area, Water flows along open channel 5 into well 9, which then overflows into said reservoir 10. An extensive extra rainwater catchment area can be achieved if the crushed rock under the grassed areas 38 is sealed.