The stadium with a spectator capacity of 74,738 has been equipped with a WISY rainwater harvesting system since it hosted the Football World Cup in 2014. Since this system has been in operation, rainwater has been used to irrigate the playing turf and flush the toilets. "We are harvesting rainwater from a roof area measuring 32,000 m²", explained the Directors of WISY, Jan Maurer and Arnold Denk.
Stored and filtered in a large tank with a storage capacity of 3000 m³, rainwater is always available even when it is not raining. The integrated filters ensure that water can be safely stored for long periods. All biological components need to be filtered out so that the water is hygienically safe and the pumps can operate smoothly.
WISY's products stand out from all the rest because of the durability of their components and their low operating costs. The vertical stainless-steel filter screen through which water can freely flow requires minimum maintenance. The cross-sectional area of the tubing does not change at any point so that debris particles are reliably flushed through and only clean water can pass into the storage tank. Another crucial benefit is that WISY's pump controllers consume up to 97% less current in standby mode than our many competitor products. Both these factors help to minimize the operating costs of the system.
But WISY's designs also help to keep investment costs in check: WISY's WFF 300 rainwater filter has been installed in the Maracanã. In temperate climate zones, a roof area of up to 3000 m² and piping up to size DN 300 can be connected to a single WFF 300 filter unit, making it an extremely cost-effective solution. Furthermore, all of WISY's rainwater units are designed to ensure that subsurface drip irrigation systems are separated from the mains water supply as prescribed, for example, by German law.
"We are a specialist supplier in a niche market", says Arnold Denk. The next project in Brazil – a shopping centre with rainwater harvesting system in Recife – has already been completed. "Our local partner is extremely proactive and has excellent references in the field of rainwater harvesting", explains Arnold Denk.
WISY AG has been an expert developer and supplier of rainwater harvesting systems for nearly three decades. While the Maracanã was WISY's first Olympic stadium, it wasn't the first football world cup venue. "Back in 2002, we were involved in the project to build the football world cup stadium in Seoul", the directors added. Harvesting rainwater always makes sense where there is a need for large volumes of water in close proximity to extensive roof areas.
