Birrigai Outdoor School
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Aquacell cleans up after bushfires: The bushfires that devastated large swathes of Canberra in 2003 took their toll on the Birrigai Outdoor School. Much of the school was burnt down, preventing many ACT schoolchildren from using the school as part of their wilderness education. Architects Collard Clarke Jackson and consultants Cardno Young incorporated a range of sustainability measures into the rebuilding of the school. Solar panels and thermally efficient and fire-resistant materials were a priority. Water-saving measures such as rainwater harvesting, more efficient fixtures and greywater recycling were also incorporated into the new design.
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| An Aquacell G6 water recyling system was chosen to recycle up to 6,000 litres a day of greywater from showers and hand basins in accordance with 'four-star water' standards (Australian Water Association ranking method). This Aquacell technology reduces the school's reliance on precious groundwater in this pristine location, with the recycled greywater suitable for toilet flushing and for irrigating landscaped areas.
Believed to be the first system in NSW or ACT to pass the NSW Health requirements for greywater recycling in a multi-dwelling or commercial property, the Aquacell G6 easily achieved the pathogen and virus removal criteria for this building application. Samples were taken over a three-month period prior to re-use to verify performance. The system is remotely monitored for continuous operation and is serviced regularly to ensure public health and environmental safety at all times. The Birrigai Outdoor School is once again providing vital environmental education to ACT children and can now boast one of the most advanced water recycling systems in the country. |
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