Patent ID: 6270661
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: C02F,E03F,Y02A,Y02W,Y10S

Abstract:
Apparatus for infiltrating water into the, ground, wherein:the apparatus includes a discharge pipe, the walls of which define a hollow interior chamber; the pipe has an entry port, for receiving doses of the water to be infiltrated, into the hollow interior chamber;the apparatus includes an operable dosing means, which is operable on a periodic basis, and which is effective, when operated, to supply a dose-volume of water into the entry port;the apparatus includes a pipe-support-structure, which is suitable for supporting the pipe above the surface of the ground into which the water is to be infiltrated;the pipe-support-structure includes a plurality of supports, the supports being so arranged as to support the pipe at intervals, the lengths of the pipe between the supports being termed the sag-lengths;the pipe has such a degree of structural flexibility that the sag-lengths of the pipe substantially sag down;in respect of each sag-length, the vertical distance through which the pipe sags down is large enough that a substantial volume of water can collect in the sag-length, and can become isolated in the sag-length, in the sense that water in the collected volume of water in the sag-length cannot flow along the pipe, and away from the sag-length, under the action of gravity alone;the pipe is provided with drain-holes, the drain-holes being disposed respectively in each of the sag-lengths of the pipe;the respective drain-holes are so arranged in relation to the sag-lengths of the pipe that water in the sag-lengths can drain out of the drain-holes;the respective drain-holes are so positioned in relation to the sag-lengths that the collected volumes of water in the sag-lengths can drain therefrom substantially completely, leaving each sag-length substantially completely empty.