We can see a drastic change in the plumbing and construction industry today. The industries show accelerated growth and no signs of slowing down. But, with the advancing plumbing technologies and limited services, we see a widening gap between the expected and the delivered. This is where the role of a plumbing consultant becomes pertinent. MEP consulting engineers are well-versed in a variety of commercial building issues. Engineering consultants with extensive experience offer bespoke solutions to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings and provide creative solutions for new building systems with assistance from brands like SCHELL. MEP consultants such as DesignTree Services Consultants Pvt Ltd create knowledgeable projections about future energy usage.
Many scenarios, such as building a new home, renovating, repairing a leak, installing new plumbing, or replacing fixtures, can benefit from the guidance of a plumbing expert. Therefore, a plumbing consultant will provide you with unbiased advice on the best method to approach your projects so that you may save time and money while enhancing the end result.
In this interaction with BuildingandInteriors, Mr. B.O. Prasanna Kumar, Joint Managing Director, DesignTree Services Consultants Pvt Ltd talks about the ever-evolving plumbing industry. He also discusses the growing significance of MEP, engineering, & plumbing consultants.
About Mr. B.O. Prasanna Kumar
Jt. MD, DesignTree Services Consultants Pvt Ltd
NEC Member, IPA Bengaluru Chapter
Mr. B.O. Prasanna Kumar has an experience of over three decades in carrying out design services like water supply systems, sewerage networks, sewage treatment plants, solid waste management, stormwater management, filtration plants, industrial piping covering the design of compressed air, vacuum, process cooling systems, fire protection & life safety.
He is a seasoned Consulting Engineer who has designed over a thousand projects in various sectors. He has won many accolades and delivered talks on Plumbing, Sanitation, and Environment.
Presently, he is the Convener at the Centre of Excellence, Indian Plumbing Association.
About DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd
DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd is an engineering consultancy company founded by dynamic and innovative professionals to bridge the gap between the ever-changing needs of the construction industry and the current consultancy services available.
DesignTree, therefore, evolved to provide a more Client-focused, responsive, agile, hands-on, and innovative approach with the best MEP, engineering, and plumbing consultants. Also, the practice at DesignTree is founded on the basis of providing creative, and high-quality service to their clients. DesignTree believes in regular feedback and makes modifications in its practices accordingly.
DesignTree’s core strength is in designing Plumbing, Fire Protection, Electrical, Airconditioning, Structures, and Green Building Services for any type of construction from IT, commercial, residential, malls, hotels, hospitals, warehousing, factories, etc. So far DesignTree has delivered about 425 Million sq. ft. of built space. Their projects are spread across pan India and have offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai with manpower of nearly 400 strong team members. DesignTree offers plumbing and sanitary solutions from top brands such as SCHELL.
Relevance of the plumbing consultant’s role in architecture
The responsibilities of engineering consultants and particularly plumbing consultants and architects often overlap. Both professions are integral to the design and construction projects, services intensive projects like hotels, hospitals, residential apartments, condominiums, etc. Architects design the space to meet client needs, as well as the aesthetic appearance of the inside and exterior of the building.
Plumbing requires laying out complex piping routes, aided by MEP design software to simplify the process. Since plumbing installations interact with both mechanical and electrical systems at many points, it underpins just how important it is that design teams must collaborate. For instance, high-rise buildings typically need water booster pumps that use electricity. Also, domestic hot water systems, meanwhile, get their heat through one of the following configurations: a boiler, a heat exchanger connected to a space heating boiler, or an electric heater.
The architect shall be responsible for the direction and integration of the consultant’s work. However, the consultants shall be responsible for the calculations, detailed design, and periodic inspection of the work entrusted to them. The plumbing consultant’s main responsibility is to ensure the design is safe and meets all appropriate building codes for the healthy living of occupants of the building.
Challenges and opportunities faced at the customer end
Today, water is cheap, but it is often wasted, and leakage accounts for a large amount of this wastage. One of the biggest challenges and opportunities for humankind is water. Water shortages may be caused by climate change, such as altered weather patterns including droughts or floods, increased pollution, and increased human demand and overuse of water.
Water scarcity is being driven by two converging phenomena- growing freshwater use and depletion of usable freshwater resources. Clean freshwater is an essential ingredient for a healthy human life, but 1.1 billion people lack access to water, and 2.7 billion experience water scarcity at least one month a year. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may be facing water shortages.
The consultant’s responsibility is to design the project for net-zero water wastage by using sustainable techniques like reducing, reusing, and recycling water within the premises or at the source of use. Thankfully, Plumbing engineers can improve water efficiency through simple strategies such as touch-free taps and low-flow toilets before moving on to more complex approaches. At the same time, an opportunity for the manufacturers of sanitary products is to create water-saving devices that can work with utmost efficiency with both fresh water and recycled water. Needless to say, SCHELL has developed some of the most economical and resourceful water-saving bath & plumbing fittings for all kinds of establishments.
Role of MEP & engineering consultants in retrofitting buildings
Retrofitting a building involves changing its systems after its initial construction and occupation. It is the process of altering a building in retrospect to improve its performance characteristics. This work can improve amenities for the building’s occupants and improve the performance of the building.
Plumbing & MEP consultants hold paramount importance in understanding original plumbing intent and suggesting improvised design and installation. The exposed piping in the plumbing shafts requires fewer efforts in installing or replacing, however, the internal concealed toilet pipes call for major re-work both in civil and plumbing installation.
Water conservation and sustainable plumbing solutions
Water is the most important element for the preservation of life. Also, water is a finite commodity that, if not managed properly, will result in shortages in the near future. Water conservation can go a long way to help alleviate these impending shortages. Conserving water involves refraining from water pollution. This requires the use of strategies that includes reducing wastage, preventing damaging water quality, and improving water management.
Water conservation technologies and strategies are often the most overlooked aspects of a whole-building design strategy. However, the planning for various water uses within a building by the plumbing consultants and MEP engineering consultants is increasingly becoming a high priority.
Water efficiency is the planned management of water to prevent waste, overuse, and exploitation of the resource. Effective water efficiency planning seeks to “do more with less” without sacrificing comfort or performance. Water efficiency planning is a resource management practice that incorporates analysis of costs and uses of water; specification of water-saving solutions; installation of water-saving measures; and verification of savings to maximize the cost-effective use of water resources. There are a number of strategies that can be employed by MEP consultants to reduce the amount of water consumed at a facility.
In general terms, these methods include:
- System optimization (i.e., efficient water systems design, leak detection, and repair)
- Water conservation measures
- Water reuse/ recycling systems.
- Water-efficient plumbing fixtures (ultralow-flow toilets and urinals, waterless urinals, low-flow, and sensor faucets, low-flow showerheads) from brands like SCHELL
- Water-efficient dishwashers and washing machines)
- Irrigation and landscaping measures (water-efficient irrigation systems, irrigation control systems, low-flow sprinkler heads)
- Water-efficient scheduling practices and Xeriscape
- Water recycling or reuse measures (Gray water and process recycling systems), etc.
Changes in the quality of plumbing solutions in the Indian market
Technology has continually emerged in the last decade as the top plumbing industry trend, from growing demand for smart homes to pipes that tell on themselves when they spring a leak. Consumers increasingly ask the plumbing industry and engineering consultants for green living products for ways to reduce water usage and recycle water, and touchless plumbing fixtures.
The combination of technology and customers’ environmental concerns has opened new opportunities. At the same time, a critical shortage in skilled labour calls for a renewed focus on quality control and creativity in the workplace.
Today’s young consumers expect more from what they buy than previous generations. No longer content with traditional water heaters and plumbing fixtures, they want new technology including Bluetooth showerheads, smart water heaters, sensors to detect leaking pipes, and touchless digital faucets that reduce water flow.
The plumbing market also offers smart toilets that conserve water or come with seat warmers and night lights. Touchless plumbing fixtures, previously found only in commercial settings, are gaining popularity in homes because they last longer and help to conserve water. The plumbing and engineering consultants educate the consumers on the use of such products. SCHELL aids in the education, production, and application of these kinds of smart products.
Challenges faced by engineering consultants in presenting designs that optimize water and power consumption
Providing safe drinking water is a highly energy‐intensive activity. At the national level, drinking water and wastewater systems account for three to four percent of energy use. Also, at the community level, drinking water and wastewater systems are typically the largest energy consumers accounting for 25 to 40 percent of a municipality’s total energy bill. Approximately 80 percent of municipal water processing and distribution costs are for electricity. For drinking water systems, we need energy needed for raw water extraction and conveyance, treatment, water storage, and distribution.
The water-energy nexus is the relationship between how much water is used to generate and transmit energy, and how much energy it takes to collect, clean, move, store, and dispose of water.
Energy efficiency saves money. Paying for energy to operate a drinking water system can be expensive and represents a significant portion of the drinking water systems’ operating budgets. We can achieve energy savings by improving energy efficiency, which means using less energy to provide the same level of service and water quality.
Engineering consultants on tackling environmental challenges in India
Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity, and contaminating water supplies. Such impacts can drastically affect the quantity and quality of water that mankind needs to survive.
Around three-fourths of natural disasters, in the last decade were water-related, including droughts and floods. Also, the frequency and intensity of such events are only expected to increase with climate change.
The value adopted internationally for basic human water needs is about 50 Lit per person per day. Whereas, per capita, water use varies considerably over these years in India. In major cities, one can assume an average value of 150-200 Lit per person per day.
The use of water-efficient fixtures is the ultimate option to reduce the consumption side of water. However, on the source side, we need to perform efficient source management for the municipality or water authority to deduce the pilferage and revenue losses. Advocating water recycling management is added advantage to users.
Effective marketing solutions by Engineering (MEP) consultants
There’s no one-size-fits-all marketing strategy to help you attract customers. Simultaneously, there are a number of marketing ideas and tactics to help you reach the right potential customer, at the right time. Also, in today’s cut-throat competitive business world, the plumbing sector doesn’t remain limited to individuals with years of experience. Emerging entrepreneurs are taking a plunge into this industry in full swing.
So, the following are the right steps to deep-dive into marketing:
- Create a Marketplace or a Dedicated Mobile Application
- Develop a Professional Website
- Submit Your Website to Local Directories for MEP, engineering, and plumbing consultants
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Marketing
- Paid Advertising in a Professional Magazine
- Cross-Platform Marketing
- Create a Blog
- Share tutorials on Video Platforms
- Engage in Online Communities
- Establish Sound Reputation
- Create Whitepapers
- Partner with Builders in your Region
- Run a Referral Program & Email Marketing
Experience as a SCHELL partner
When it comes to fittings, SCHELL India products have been DesignTree’s first choice for many years. Whether fittings for hand washbasins, showers, WCs, urinals, or regulating angle valves & fittings for household appliances such as washing machines, geysers, dishwashers, etc. – SCHELL fittings belong in all places where robust, hygienic, and resource-efficient solutions remain needed.
Particularly, SCHELL remains accredited for inventing the smart angle valve. Concealed flushing cisterns are trouble-free even with treated recycled greywater, especially, in public, semi-public, and commercial sanitary rooms, that experience high numbers of users. The longevity of the health faucet in most of DesignTree’s projects remains highly appreciable compared to any other makers.
“We have not faced any challenges from the SCHELL products”, says Mr. B.O. Prasanna Kumar. “So, expect a complete range of bathroom solutions including water-efficient showers with different flow rates, and faucets for different segments of both residential and commercial installation of semi-public and public in nature”, he adds.
