Firm creates tank to conserve rain water for daily use

LIVING in a tropical country that enjoys abundant rainfall, it is a wonder that rain-harvesting is not utilised extensively.

With the recent dry spell and water crisis in the Klang Valley, conservation of water, especially in the city and in townships, is increasingly becoming important.

Synergy Contract Sdn Bhd innovative director Sit Heng Yeen said people were aware of the concept of harvesting rainwater but it was quite costly to do so.

“Some conventional rainwater harvesting systems are not environmental-friendly as they use electrical pumps.

“The pumps not only release greenhouse gases but also increase the electricity bills.

“The conventional tanks are also bulky and space-consuming and the tropical climate encourages algae to grow in them,” he said.

Sit said the company’s VODA rainwater harvesting system was created to cater for residential and business premises.

He said the system did not require pumps to pull water from its sources to the respective outlets, utilising only gravitational force.

“It is environmental-friendly and collects rainwater from rain gutters on roofs.

“The system was created mainly for flushing toilets and home gardening,” he said, adding that it took the research and development team about a year to perfect the system.

Sit said the tank, made from durable and lightweight fibreglass reinforced plastic, was compact and could be installed on walls.

“The tanks are solid, corrosion-resistant and long-lasting. Its installation is simple, mounted on walls like an air-conditioning unit compressor with no alteration to building structures needed.

“We also provide an installation guide for customers.

“The VODA tank is sleek in design and does not take much space,” he added.

Sit said each tank could store about 300 litres of water, providing up to nine days of use for toilet flushing.

“We estimate that each tank can cater up to 40 to 50 flushes of water.

“About 31.5 litres of water can be saved daily,” he said, adding that one household averaged about 4.5 flushes daily.

Sit said a larger capacity could also be achieved by connecting two or more units together, and that the VODA tank was modularly expandable by design.

“To ensure water usage stays uninterrupted even during dry spells, VODA is equipped with a back-up system that automatically allows water from the main water tank to flow in.

“Similar to the ballcock mechanism found in flush toilets, water will be drawn into the tank when the water level is below 10 flushes,” he said.

Sit added that the tank had a built-in self-cleaning filtering system that kept out leaves, mosquitoes and vermin.

Synergy Contract finance director Low Pui San said the tank had a lifespan of about 50 years.

“People want assurance that the product would last long. We are also giving a 30-year guarantee for the tanks,” she said.

Low said they had already received some 200 orders from customers in Sitiawan.

“We are getting some good responses from Kuala Lumpur as well,” she said.