The Aqua-Sac Weblog

Our new Singapore distributor just come on line: Welcome :-)

Aqua-Sac — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:48:05 GMT

We are excited about the appointment of our new partner in Singapore.
Penda Asia Pte Ltd are committed to changing the way sandbagging and response to flooding is handled this part of the world and we look forward to working with the new innovative ideas Penda Asia have.
Good luck
http://www.penda-asia.com/

Southampton has a great way of mopping up in Tower Blocks

Aqua-Sac — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:03:04 GMT

Keith May Emergency Planning and Support Officer
Neighbourhoods Southampton City Council said:

"In the Housing dept we initially purchased the aqua sacs in relation to localised flooding . There are a number of at risk areas within the city that are subject to tidal or heavy rain flooding and as we had properties in the area we found it prudent to have a supply just in case and indeed we continue to have a supply in the vicinity of the river where we have a number of Sheltered Schemes.
However , we subsequently found that the sacs were really useful when dealing with internal flooding in blocks of flats .We have used the sacs on numerous occasions where we have experienced flooding from toilets, bathrooms and kitchens .The sacs are very useful in both providing quick barriers to prevent water traveling both along and down floors .The sacs are also very efficient in mopping up the floods .
In one particular incident we utilised the sacs when a sewer from a 15 storey block of flats was backing up and began flooding an internal area adjacent to the main entrance and lift lobby .We were able to hold back the sewage to maintain the entrance and to protect the lifts .As this block has 150 flats the avoidance of damage and inconvenience in my opinion probably saved the entire cost of our initial outlay . We used 50+ sacs on this occasion with the only problem concerned being the disposal after the event. "

Forget tranditional sand bagging..Aqua-sac is providing the North East with Regional Mutual Aid Stock on call off

Aqua-Sac — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:04:15 GMT

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said �This project gives the four North East Fire and Rescue Services the option to enhance their provision for dealing with rescues from flood water. It will also allow us to assist our partner agencies in the prevention of immediate flooding by assisting them to provide �alternative sandbags� at major incidents.

Steve Owers RIEP Flood Project Manager said:
� Even during the tender process it became clear that AET were a well organised company, their submission was well laid out and answered all our questions. Immediately after the contract was awarded Fran started to work closely with the project team. She came to the North East on a number of occasions to demonstrate aqua-sac and other flood products to various interested parties. She also sourced wheeled cages to carry the aqua-sac, helped design and print flood leaflets to our specification and sourced and evaluated a number of inflation pools until a pool was found which met our requirements�.
�Fran was also heavily involved in producing the protocol which will be used by the Fire & Rescue Services and the local authorities in the North East to request, deliver and replace any aqua-sac used�.
�When I look back at the original tender for the basic provision of aqua-sac and wheeled cages I realise what a great deal of additional time and effort AET and particularly Fran Cleeton have contributed to this project. We continue to work closely together and I would have no hesitation in utilising AET in the future.

Flood Products Demonstration..Flood Barrier and aqua-sac

Aqua-Sac — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:08 GMT

The summer of 2009 was busy showing the industry alternatives to the traditional forms of flood defence i.e. sandbagging !!

Two 10m sections of Alteau Flood Barrier were connected within 15 mins.

Fran took to the water herself showing that anyone could help in the deployment of the Alteau Flood barrier and aqua-sac.
(Shown here being inflated in the river water for speed of deployment).

Washing down after the event was quick and easy, leaving everything ready for another day, to be deployed where needed.

Alteau Flood Barrier

Aqua-Sac — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:45:49 GMT

The Alteau Flood Barrier demonstrated with the aid of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. The video demonstrates the flood barrier is quickly deployed, flexible, robust and re-useable

Sandbags for flood defence in Oxford

Aqua-Sac — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:37:24 GMT

An Oxfordshire Housing Association uses the Aqua-Sac sandbags to protect vulnerable properties during severe flooding.

Aqua-Sac S.O.S sandbags have been deployed more than once over the last year by this housing association who always keep 2000 on hand in case of emergency.

Council gives 'sandless' sandbags to flooding victims

Aqua-Sac — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:46:31 GMT

Aqua-Sac Helping the community

South Northamptonshire Council has distributed more than 2000 �sandless� sandbags, called AquaSacs, to 84 homes across the district who were hit by the July flooding

The sandbags are filled with a gel that expands when wet, but when dry, is virtually flat. This means the sandbags are simple to store and far easier to distribute to people in case of emergency.It is the first time the Council has used the new technology, and we are the only Council in the county to offer the service.

During the July floods, the Council issued over 2500 free sandbags and delivered more than 55 tonnes of sand to the 29 affected villages in South Northamptonshire.

Councillor Andrew Grant, cabinet member for safer communities, said, �I was very proud of the way Council dealt with the flooding last year. In a difficult emergency situation, Council workers worked day and night over that weekend to provide sandbags to help people protect their homes.

�The flooding in July highlighted how easy it is for bad weather to create such destruction and with more bad weather forecast this week, we as a Council want to do everything we can to make sure we are equipped to deal with such an emergency if it happens again.

�These sandbags and AquaSacs are part of that strategy, and we are providing AquaSacs free to people whose homes were affected by the flooding, and storing some in case they are needed in the future.�

ISO9001:2000 Certification

Aqua-Sac — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:13:39 GMT

The Aqua-Sac team passed their ISO9001:2000 audit.The scope of certification covers the procurement, marketing and sales of flood defence products.

It's Official- Aqua-Sac shortlisted for Innovation Award

Aqua-Sac — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:48:12 GMT

Analox Environmental Technology has been shortlisted for the Innovation Award in the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2007 for our self-inflating sandbag. Sandbags have been in the news a great deal this summer and the Aqua-sac has made a big impression as a flood protection product.

The winner will be announced on October 19th at a celebratory dinner at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds.

Self-Inflating Sandbags Aid Cave Rescue Excersise

Aqua-Sac — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:17:35 GMT

Photo by Copyright Andy Jackson

Aqua-sac came to the aid of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association on Sunday as we trialled our self-inflating sandbags in a cave rescue training excersise organised by UWFRA and the local Fire and Rescue Service. Aqua-sac sandbags could easily be carried to the rescue scene in the remote Yorkshire Dales. Fifty self-inflating sandbags were used in two scenarios. Firstly, to divert a stream on the surface away from the flooded cave. Secondly, 25 Aqua-Sac sandbags were easily deployed in the cramped semi flooded cave in order to create a bund.Once deployed, in minutes the fire service were able to set up a pump from the resevoir created using the Aqua-Sac S.O.S bags.

A BAG FOR ALL SEASONS (REPORT)

The Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association is one of many rescue teams that answers calls to provide help to people and animals in difficulties on the hills; in this case the Yorkshire Dales. It is unusual, though, in that it is one of the few teams that also provide aid to people in trouble in caves and potholes in its area.

Since its inception in 1948 the team has answered hundreds of calls and has always prided itself on being at the forefront of using innovative technology that may help bring about successful conclusions to the incidents it attends. Down the years this has seen it design and manufacture equipment especially for use in the trying conditions found underground. Also, it has kept an eye on what is available elsewhere.

Many of the cave rescues that occur are the result of flooding. Inevitably, this involves the damming and diversion of torrents of water rushing off the steep upland slopes into the caves and potholes before it is safe for a rescue party to enter. Usually this takes place at night, and can involve dozens of people digging diversion channels and filling and placing sand bags. It may also need the Fire and Rescue Service to attend with their pumps.

When the team heard about Aqua-Sacs they seemed too good to be true. Here, apparently, were bags that didn�t require an army of people to fill them. Also, they were capable of being carried in quantity into a cave packed in a waterproof sack by one person. They had to be seen. Were they up to the hype?

Luckily, the team had been organising a joint exercise with the Fire Service to pump dry a length of cave passage that has a series of places normally full of water to the roof (sumps in cavers� language). The venue was to be Langstroth Cave and it would require building a dam within the cave to provide a suitable pool to accommodate the pump suction hose, as well as diversion of a stream on the surface. Older members of the team had carried out this operation several times in the past, including one sad occasion when three people had died trying to dive through the sumps without using diving equipment. This time it was to be a familiarisation exercise for new team members and Fire Service personnel.

The day dawned dry and bright and conditions were ideal - would the Aqua-Sac be up to the job? Well, the answer to that is an unqualified yes. It did everything claimed for it. We were, perhaps, helped by having Simon Minto from Analox Environmental Technology Ltd. with us to provide expert advice, but we are confident that left on our own we would still have been able to provide a good, watertight dam. See the photos for proof of what was done. The pumping operation was a great success and members of the Fire and Rescue Service who went into the cave to see for themselves what was happening down below were also very impressed with the Aqua-Sacs.

Will we be buying Aqua-Sacs to put on our shelves alongside our other equipment? Of course we will. The next time my phone rings at any time of the day or night, at any time of the year, and the police tell me that there is a flooding incident at a cave somewhere I shall have the knowledge that life may just have got bit easier through having them.

Harry Long
Team Controller