CD 534: Chamber Tops and Gully Tops for Road Drainage and Services, now at version 0.2.0. is here Find out more
Designed to respond to flood risk
SealAble
Surface water entering foul networks creates unnecessary demand on infrastructure. SealAble provides targeted, retrofittable sealing within compatible frames. Reduce infiltration where it matters, while maintaining safe and unrestricted access.
Surface water entering foul-only sewer networks can create significant operational challenges.
Under shallow ponding conditions, water can pass through the tolerances of standard manhole covers and enter the sewer system. Independent Water Industry Specification testing has demonstrated that a single 600 x 600 cover can admit flows equivalent to the peak foul load from hundreds of properties.
That water is then pumped, treated and managed as wastewater - placing unnecessary demand on pumping stations and treatment infrastructure.
SealAble provides a practical way to reduce that infiltration at source.
Our SealAble system enables the installation of a retrofittable ductile iron seal plate that installs directly within compatible manhole cover frames, as and when it’s needed. This approach allows sealing performance to be introduced only where it is required, while maintaining safe and unrestricted access to the chamber below.
Climate change and increasing rainfall pressures
More frequent and intense rainfall events are placing increasing pressure on foul sewer networks, particularly in densely developed urban areas where network capacity is already limited.
During heavy rainfall, surface water can enter foul-only systems through standard manhole covers, increasing flows within the network and placing additional demand on pumping stations and treatment infrastructure.
WIS 4-26-01 highlights how significant this inflow can be, with testing demonstrating that a standard 600 x 600 mm cover can admit substantial volumes of water under relatively shallow ponding conditions.
In many cases, smaller foul-only pumping stations operate at around 11 litres per second capacity. This means that inflow through submerged covers alone can be enough to overwhelm local infrastructure, increasing the risk of surcharge, overflow events and unnecessary treatment of clean water.
SealAble helps limit surface water entering foul networks at source.
By introducing a selectable sealing solution within compatible Highway and Unite manhole cover frames, SealAble supports a more targeted approach to infiltration control, helping operators reduce unnecessary storm water entering foul-only systems during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Sea Starts Here
What enters our drainage networks does not simply disappear. Managing storm water responsibly at source is an important part of reducing pressure on wastewater systems and helping protect rivers, coastlines and the wider environment.
We hope our ‘The Sea Starts Here’ campaign will go some way to increasing the awareness to a wider audience about, the interconnectedness of our infrastructure and the problems of water pollution and its effect on marine wildlife. These are important issues to us and our industry and we hope the message will resonate with people to help create lasting change.
There are no matching products for your filter set. Please remove some filters to find matches.
Designed around performance, not permanent compromise
UK water industry guidance, including Water Industry Specifications (WIS) and sewer design standards, emphasises the importance of watertight construction and the control of infiltration within drainage networks.
SealAble supports that objective while preserving flexibility for asset owners.
Instead of relying on permanent steel trays or secondary sub-frames, SealAble uses a direct-fit ductile iron seal plate. This design maintains the full clear opening and allows sealing to be installed, upgraded or removed as operational priorities change.
Once a compatible frame is installed, sealing becomes a configurable option rather than a fixed decision made at installation. Leak-tightness performance can then be selected in line with Water Industry Specification (WIS) classes, the recognised framework used by UK water companies to define sealing performance and infiltration control, allowing the solution to adapt as network risks evolve.
Different locations within a sewer network face different levels of risk. SealAble offers three selectable leak-tightness levels aligned with recognised Water Industry Specification classes. This allows operators to apply the appropriate level of sealing where it is genuinely required. Key benefits include:
Three selectable leak-tightness levels from a single platform
As defined by the Water Industry Specification (WIS) classes
Direct-fit seal plate - no bolted trays or secondary frames
Resulting in quicker more efficient installations
Full clear opening maintained for safe access
Reducing risk during entry and avoiding restricted or non-compliant openings
Retrofittable installation once the frame is in place
Allowing the plate to be moved to where its needed, when its needed
There are no matching products for your filter set. Please remove some filters to find matches.
Built for installation and operation
SealAble has been designed with both installers and operational teams in mind.
The seal plate mirrors the cover’s BS 7903 lifting key points, allowing operatives to use the same lifting methods and equipment they already trust. The indexed design ensures the seal plate can only be installed in the correct orientation.
Operational advantages include:
Indexed installation for correct positioning every time
Seal plate mirrors standard lifting points
No specialist tools required
Full chamber access maintained
This helps ensure sealing solutions remain practical to use throughout the asset’s service life.
SealAble provides a targeted way to reduce surface water infiltration into foul networks while maintaining operational flexibility.
By allowing sealing to be introduced, upgraded or redeployed over time, SealAble helps operators respond to changing network conditions without replacing existing infrastructure.
This approach aligns with the direction set by UK water industry guidance, including Water Industry Specifications (WIS), which place increasing focus on managing infiltration risk at source. Rather than treating infiltration as a fixed design constraint, SealAble enables a more responsive strategy, where sealing performance can be matched to the level of risk at each location.
For asset owners, this means greater control over how and where investment is applied. High-risk locations can be prioritised for enhanced sealing, while lower-risk sites can remain unsealed until conditions change. As network pressures evolve, whether through urbanisation, climate impacts or asset deterioration, SealAble provides a practical way to adapt without the disruption and cost of full asset replacement.
