Self-contained and easy to install, the new ACO SoakAway™ range offers the first complete, sustainable solution for managing surface water run-off from residential roofs, driveways or any domestic hard landscaped area. With Building Regulations set to become more restrictive regarding the use of sewers to remove run-off, the kits are the ideal way to avoid the cost and delay of having to apply for planning permission and, in certain situations, can help reduce the sewerage standing charge levied by water companies.
There are three kits in the ACO SoakAway range: the ACO SoakAway Channel Kit, the ACO SoakAway and the ACO Soakaway Extension. They can be combined to complete either a half or a one cubic metre capacity drainage system for roofs or hardstanding areas up to 100m2.
The ACO SoakAway Channel Kit consists of three, 1m narrow slot channel drains (ACO HexDrain® Brickslot) together with all the components necessary to make a connection, up to 5m away, to the half cubic metre ACO SoakAway – a lightweight underground chamber that collects and safely returns to ground all driveway run-off. The optional ACO Soakaway Extension allows the capacity of the soakaway to be increased to one cubic metre. Both the ACO SoakAway and ACO SoakAway Extension are flat-packed for easy handling and transportation.
The ACO HexDrain Brickslot channels are manufactured from a high strength, recycled polypropylene that is certified for pedestrian and residential traffic applications. These channels are fitted with discreet 10mm wide offset inlet gratings that are virtually invisible when installed, making them ideal for landscaped and visually sensitive areas.
The grating’s height and offset allow traditional block paviours to be laid right up to the edge of the channel inlet. Purpose-designed to enable the use of these blocks, the ACO SoakAway simplifies driveway construction by avoiding the specialist aggregates and more complicated percolation tests that permeable paving alternatives require.
The soakaway chamber itself is manufactured from the same 100% recycled and recyclable, high-strength polypropylene and has a unique ‘open cell’ structure that provides a greater void volume than traditional rubble-filled soakaways. The unit is supplied with a polypropylene geotextile sheet that is wrapped around the chamber to prevent surrounding soil ingress and possible clogging. Once installed the chamber does not require any ongoing inspection or maintenance.
“For Planning Authorities, infiltration systems such as soakaways are now the preferred method for the disposal of surface water run-off from any area of hardstanding,” says Simon Shepherd, Product Manager at ACO Water Management. “For landscapers, architects, contractors and DIY developers the new ACO SoakAway range means that, for the first time, they have access to a complete self-contained and visually discreet system that not only complies with all the latest regulations, but also allows greater design flexibility as they can be used with a wide range of conventional impermeable surfaces.”