Water Pressure - Other Considerations

With high rise accomodation there are a number of ways that might be considered appropriate in providing water to the upper storeys. All must of course take into account pressure differences between the floors, in particular with tower blocks.

One solution is to provide header tanks which are located at the top of the building, these are filled by pump that is controlled automatically based on the level of the water in the tank. Effectively the same as a ball valve on a domestic hot water header tank.

Water is supplied from these tanks by way of PRV (Pressure Reducing Valves) to ensure the flats on various levels get an optimum water pressure. Tell me more

The problem with tanked water storage:

Legionella

Precautions must be taken against legionella infection. This is relatively straightforward but where a service is being provided would normally require a skilled professional involvement. See: Information for owners and managers of hotels and other accommodation sites: minimising the risk from the "The European Working Group for Legionella Infections" website.

Space Requirements

Water tanks take up a considerable amount of space and must be maintained, not just for health and safety, but also for structural and leakage considerations.

Where a property that has previously not had mains water pressure problems on its upper floors, the installation of water tanks might well be impossible.