What Purpose Do Sand Traps Serve?

When it comes to water management for community and public areas, due care is taken to plan the installation of the appropriate infrastructure to ensure the safety of the public and to maximize efficiency. The drainage of surface runoff in case of rains or flooding is of the essence for reasons of public safety, health and hygiene. Among the various installations which are made in such a drainage system, sand traps are an important mechanism. A sand trap is a surface installation, which, as the name suggests, is used to filter out the sand and gravel particles, and prevent their discharge into the main drains. They are made from plastic or concrete and are installed slightly below the main pavement or road surface to aid in the flow of the water at an incline and retain the sand while the filtered water can be discharged into the drain.

Installation of sand traps is typically made in the following cases:

1.    In road surface drains and sidewalks where surface runoff is being drained underground or into the main sewer network. The sand trap serves to keep the larger sand particles out of the water being drained, prevent blockages in the system.

2.    In roof drainage system downpipes, where there is a risk of obstruction to the flow of water from the accumulation of plant debris in the form of dried leaves, twigs, bird nest fragments and other particle matter that may cause blockages.

3.    In drainage pipe networks, sand traps are installed at the point before the connection to the pump well and the drain outlets to prevent the flow of sand particles into the line.  

4.    In commercial kitchens and other commercial establishments where oil or grease traps are installed, sand traps are fitted before the oil or grease traps to prevent the discharge of particle matter such as gravel or sand and similar waste into the latter.

5.    Sand traps are also installed in water treatment and rainwater management systems as a component for filtration of the raw water. The sand traps keep the particle matter in the form of sand and other waste from entering the main chamber where the water is being treated for removal of the non-particle waste matter.

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