Smart Canal – how it affects Pinkston

What is a “smart canal”? In our area it was key to unlocking a huge amount of housing development where rainwater and sewage were limiting development. The solution to drainage was to use the canal as both a watercourse and as a storage tank. Before rainfall the level of the canal is lowered, creating space for rainfall. During rain surface water flows into the canal, and it flows to a specific exit location where the level is controlled from. After rainfall the level slowly returns to “normal”.

So what happens in the basin and White White water course?

Originally the basin was separated from the canal and there were different levels either side of the sheet piling. Over time some leaks appeared and since 2016 the basin is the same level as the canal (it only needs a hole/leak path about 1 inch square to equalize the levels!).

When the canal level is lowered we see a more powerful feature at the outflow from the long course. We also see our electricity bills go up slightly as we pump water for the white water courses. When the canal level is higher it is easier to get and down to pontoons, the electricity bill is a little lower and the final drop on the long course is less powerful. Having a changing level is also making the short course design more difficult.

Long term we aim to get back to the level inside the basin being independent of the canal!