Your effluent management system needs to work for you 365 days of the year, so that means preparing for all kinds of weather. While extreme events can’t be predicted, it’s reasonably foreseeable in New Zealand to have storms, floods and large downpours at one time or another – some areas more than others! So here’s some best practice guidelines for how to ‘flood-proof’ your effluent management system…
Storage
It’s always better to have too much, than not enough. We always recommend having more than the minimum council requirements to allow for times where spreading is not an option, and rainfall is high. Should an extreme weather event occur, this also reduces the chances of you having a big effluent clean up to deal with.
Storm Water Diverter, Pipes & Systems
Having a storm water diverter is insurance should it ever be needed. Your storm water diverter should be large enough to handle more than just a heavy downpour. Further to this, the pipes leading the water away should be big enough to handle large intakes of water, and should lead to a storm water system that can handle the intake.
Preparation
Set aside some time to reduce effluent storage levels as much as possible before winter. You never know what the weather will bring, so it’s best to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. A Nevada RainWave™ Drag Hose System can be ideal for dropping pond levels fast and is a cost-effective investment. Maximising the amount of storage you have available gives you one less worry should you not be able to spread at all over the wet season.
Solids Separation
If solids separation is used, it may be worth considering a cover/roof for your solids storage area. This will reduce the chances of your solids becoming muck, or getting washed away during heavy rainfall.
Pond Design
Your pond should have a reasonable freeboard to allow for additional water levels during flood prone times.
Electric Motors
As we all know, electricity and water are not a great mix, so it’s best to have any electric motors on a plinth or something that keeps them above reasonable expected water levels.
Flood Pumps
If you are in a flood prone area, a flood pump could be of value to assist with pumping over stock banks.