A R50 million reservoir project has been approved by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to meet the high demand for water in the region north of Pretoria, and Kaytech’s highly regarded drainage and filtration system was specified upfront.

As is the case in any new reservoir construction, the incorporation of a highly effective leak detection system is essential. With many years of experience, VIP Consulting Engineers was chosen to plan and design this system for the new Annlin Reservoir. In order to simplify the search for any future leaks, the system was compartmentalised into a grid system covering the floor area of the reservoir. Through different coloured pipes, each section of the grid would feed into a manhole constructed on the side of the reservoir. With each section of grid being represented by a particular colour, a leak would be easily and accurately detected.

For their carefully planned leak detection system, consultants had no hesitation in specifying two of Kaytech’s well-recognised products, namely bidim and Flo-Pipe. KK Civils Construction was awarded the contract to install the system. Flo-Pipe (450 m), wrapped in bidim (1 060 m²), was placed into the trenches of the reservoir floor and covered with no-fines concrete. These trenches will then drain any leaked water into the adjacent manhole.

Flo-Pipe is a high strength, slotted drainage pipe consisting of a ribbed outer shell that can withstand massive confining pressure, and a smooth inner bore that ensures high flow velocity. It is this twin-walled, sandwich design that gives Flo-Pipe its strength and flexibility. Manufactured from the highest quality high density polyethylene (HDPE) available, Flo-Pipe is optimally slotted for maximum infiltration with minimal blockage, and is the ideal product for civil, mining, municipal and domestic use. The convenient length and lightweight construction of Flo-Pipe ensure easy transportation and handling, while installation is possible even with unskilled labour.

Kaytech’s bidim, which was wrapped around the Flo-Pipe to serve a filtration function, is a non-woven, continuous filament, needle-punched geotextile manufactured from 100% polyester. It has a high drainage capacity in both the transmissivity and permittivity planes. Bidim has the highest possible through-flow rate while providing excellent filtration characteristics. In sub-soil drainage, as required in this project, bidim performs two functions; that of filtering and separating soils. The bidim A4 quantities used in this project equate to 4 122 recycled PET cold drink bottles.

“Kaytech provides innovative, engineering solutions using recycled PET (rPET) in its products. By doing so, it supports the recycling sector by ensuring the collection and recycling of PET bottles, and assuring an end use market for rPET in South Africa,” says Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO, the industry body for recycling of PET plastic in South Africa.

With its 20 million-litre capacity, the new Annlin Reservoir will soon be providing precious liquid to the surrounding areas and, thanks to Kaytech’s unique products, this highly effective leak detection system will ensure that minimal water will be lost through leakages.