B012 Domestic drainage load

A survey of the sanitation load for domestic high-rise building estates in Hong Kong

Brief:

A reasonably accurate estimation on the sanitation load is necessary for designing an effective and healthy drainage system. This is particularly important for developed cities, such as Hong Kong, having many high-rise residential buildings. Load estimation method based on the ‘fixture unit’ approach has been established and used for the load estimations. However, design data in practice have not been examined for various architectural designs and user behavioral patterns in high-rise residential buildings nowadays. In this study, the probable drainage loads in 14 high-rise buildings of five low-cost residential estates are investigated. A face-to-face interview has been conducted in 2003-2004 and the discharge flow rates of the installed sanitary appliances were measured in 597 apartments. The probable number of sanitary appliances discharging simultaneously is determined with the ‘fixture unit’ approach and compared with the design values used for the buildings. This study proposed the probable drainage demands for some high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. The database is useful for evaluating various drainage system designs in high-rise residential buildings for cities having a high population density.

Further information:

Wong LT, Mui KW, 2004. A survey of the sanitation load for domestic high-rise building estates in Hong Kong, Proceedings of the 30^th International Symposium on Water Supply and Drainage for Buildings, CIBW062, CSTB, Paris, France, 16-17 September, Fourth Session-Drainage System, pp. 1-18.