Pumps key to Darling Quarter’s sustainable success

Sega World in Sydney, Australia, was built in 1997 as the flagship tenant of the city’s tourism complex of Darling Harbour. It was designed and themed by gaming company Sega as one of several SegaWorld-branded amusement parks but even the 2000 Olympics couldn’t save it and it closed within four years. In 2003 the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) took the lease over the Sega World site at Darling Walk and in 2008 Lend Lease obtained the lease and demolished the Walk, replacing it over the next two years with a $500m mixed use project in a collaborative effort with the SHFA.

Now known as Darling Quarter, the development includes low-rise campus-style commercial buildings, known as Commonwealth Bank Place, and a family and leisure precinct with retail and dining options, a community green with a 4,000sqm playground and car park. Darling Quarter has reconnected the south end of Darling Harbour to the city of Sydney and Lend Lease has delivered an interactive work and play area for the local community, city workers and tourists. But the one important aspect of this project was Lend Lease’s determination to set the benchmark for a green precinct development in Australia.

The Grundfos Solutions
While a combination of active and passive design features contributed to Lend Lease’s aim for a world-class green precinct, saving and recycling water would also help boost the chance for the elusive green star rating.

Darling Quarter saves a massive 92{87a03eb4327cd2ba79570dbcca4066c6d479b8f7279bafdb318e7183d82771cf} on mains water consumption compared to conventional office buildings. This is achieved by a combination of black water treatment and reuse, employing sewer mining, and rainwater harvesting.

Both solutions feature Grundfos pumps and more than 50 Grundfos pumps are installed throughout Darling Quarter precinct. The selection of quality, Danish designed Grundfos pumps was made by the hydraulic consultants at Warren Smith & Partners and mechanical consultants at Arup in consultation with Lend Lease.

These include:

• Grundfos NB pumps for air conditioning circulation
• Grundfos Dual UPS (N) pumps for the hot water system
• Grundfos Hydro MPC for recycled water
• Grundfos Hydro MPC for cooling tower make up water
• Grundfos Hydro MPC for potable water
• Grundfos BM, SEG & CR pumps used in recycling of black water
• Grundfos SP pumps for rain-water reuse
• Grundfos SEG submersible pumps for sewage and stormwater pump outs

Demonstrating how modern, sustainable buildings can benefit the environment, the Darling Quarter on-site recycling water plant extracts sewage from the municipal sewer system.

The recycling plant is located in the basement of the Commonwealth Bank Place office buildings. Though only taking up 200m2 of space, the treatment plant treats 245 kilolitres of sewage a day, producing 166 kilolitres of treated water which is used for toilet flushing, irrigation and cooling tower make-up water.

The sewer mining infrastructure and recycled water treatment plant was designed by Warren Smith & Partners, supplied and installed by Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Australia. Grundfos has installed factory assembled and tested pump sets and control panels. The pump sets consist of cast iron SEG grinder pumps for sewage and brine return to the municipal sewer main. Combined Grundfos BM booster pumps and CR centrifugal pumps are utilised in the treatment process.

For the irrigation of the public park and gardens, the Darling Quarter site also includes a rainwater harvesting system which was designed by Warren Smith & Partners and consists of a 300,000 litre underground tank, Grundfos BM and CR MPC pumps and treatment systems to collect rainwater.

Using rainwater allows Darling Quarter to help the SHFA to conserve its precious drinking water. In total, the rainwater reuse will save up to 60 million litres of drinking water per year.

The Outcome
Lend Lease achieved its aim. Darling Quarter’s sustainable outcome was cemented by achieving a 6-star Green Star office V2 Design Rating.

Grundfos has played a major role in helping Lend Lease achieve this 6 star Green Star rating which recognises world-class innovation.

The partnership between Grundfos, Warren Smith & Partners, ARUP and Lend Lease proved to deliver the most sustainable solution possible.

Steen Holm Jensen, Managing Director of Grundfos Pumps Australia, says: “The commercial building industry is looking to suppliers such as Grundfos to provide solutions that help achieve sustainable outcomes; both in terms of energy savings and reduced water use.

“We were delighted to have played a role in contributing to the environmental success of Darling Quarter.”

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