Ocmis installed the irrigation system for the Athletes Village public realm during the construction of the village. It was a complex series of contracts working with a number of separate contractors to install one unified irrigation system.

The irrigation system was spread through the whole site, and Ocmis worked with seven construction and landscape contractors to deliver eleven separate contracts across the public realm. The infrastructure for the system crossed over all the work areas, with mainline pipe and cable being laid along the streets and terminated in the soft landscape areas. This phase of the installation was part of a site wide Earthworks package, installed as the levels were finalised and before each area was handed over to the finishing contractor. Ocmis then connected to the mainline as part of the follow-on contracts and continued the system into the finished landscape as part of the soft landscape works.

Water for the irrigation system was harvested from site run off and treated through the ponds, reed beds and an aeration system in the wetlands. Once treated, the water is used for irrigation, toilet flushing and to circulate through the feature ponds in the village landscape. As well as the irrigation, Ocmis also installed the Wetlands aeration system, the pond re-circulation system and the grey water supply to Chobham Academy as part of the works.

The shrubs and trees are irrigated using pressure compensated drip to ensure uniform application rates and avoid water loss. Lawn areas are irrigated with 310 sprinklers and spray heads, there is 20,000 metres of drip pipe and the whole system is controlled through 141 solenoid valves across the site.

The site wide system is supplied through pumps and filters in the wetlands plant room and a central irrigation control system. The irrigation in each of the landscaped areas is connected to the controls through a wire path laid with the mainline pipe. The distribution of water around the village is controlled by the maintenance team from the plant room, where they can adjust application rates to suit the different areas.

The technical challenges together with the logistics and tight programme meant this was a demanding project. Good site communication and experienced Ocmis installation staff ensured the system was installed on time and on budget.