A water reservoir with an unusual volume for rainwater storage
The new building of the Walhain Road Construction Department conceals an impressive water reservoir with a storage capacity of 590 m³. The architectural firm Bernard Defrenne expanded the required rainwater basin into a reservoir large enough for the reuse of rainwater for cleaning the municipality's roads. The execution was entrusted to SA De Graeve, in collaboration with Entreprises Monnier. The striking feature of this project is the Tubao cistern with a capacity of 590 m³ in a single volume, which covers almost a quarter of an Olympic swimming pool. The law required a rainwater basin of 220 m³, but architect Bernard Defrenne added an extra 370 m³ of rainwater storage to it.
Why such a large reservoir?
This enables flexible rainwater harvesting, which is essential for the diverse water needs of the municipal services. The stored rainwater will be used for cleaning vehicles, watering flower beds, and supplying cleaning vehicles. This allows rainwater to be efficiently reused and enables the services to continue their work during periods of drought.
Installation of a massive cistern for rainwater harvesting
The immense Tubao buffer, which serves as a water reservoir, measures 83 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter. The transport took place using four trucks, in sections of nearly 22 meters each. Each section weighed approximately 6 tons, requiring a 110-ton mobile crane for the installation. Within half a day, the installation was complete. With only four men on the ground, the sections were quickly positioned, joined together, and made watertight. This efficiency was made possible thanks to the coordination of Tubao, which provided a specialized technician to supervise and inspect the work.
Tubao: the ideal solution for rainwater harvesting
A Tubao is a custom-made water reservoir made of galvanized and corrugated steel, known for its exceptional durability and flexibility. Thanks to its modular design, it is easy to install and ideal for large-scale rainwater storage and reuse. Architect Defrenne was aware of the benefits of Tubao and deliberately chose this type of tank in his specifications. Deschacht, exclusive distributor of Tubao tanks, provided the technical and logistical expertise to bring this rainwater recovery project to a successful conclusion.
David Monnier
- Number of employees: 30
- Founding year: 1992
- Activities: Earthworks, sewerage, construction of public and private sites
