Active Water Management: New Technology for Attenuation

Our clients are showing interest in a new approach to water management.

Active water management attenuation systems allow the outflow of stored water to be fully controlled, in contrast to a passive system which continuously drains at a set discharge rate. This control allows the attenuated water to be used for purposes which would otherwise require separate tanks, such as firefighting water storage, cooling tower water storage, rainwater recycling or irrigation.

Weather monitoring functionality can drain the tank in advance of a rain event to maximise storage capacity, and then shut off the water discharge following the storm to retain the water for other uses.

Actively controlling the discharge of water rather than using conventional passive discharge provides a whole package of advantages including enhanced control, reduced surface water run-off, reduced volume of water storage tanks and the use of one single tank.

Some statutory water bodies are interested in active water management systems and the possibility of utilising a cascade discharge system across multiple development sites in urban areas. As such, there are potential planning benefits associated with active water management. There are also BREEAM credits available for incorporating these systems.