Product Manual

No flood control system is 100% leak proof. Even if a system were completely watertight, there would be leaks
through the ground from waste pipes, in addition to rainwater falling on the part of the ground that you are trying
to protect.
Water leaking through the Water-Gate generally flows under the Water-Gate. Leaks occur because of the
unevenness of different surfaces. However, the more the Water-Gate barrier fills up with water, the more water
tight it becomes.
If the water barrier is laid down on a regular asphalt surface, with 4 in (10 cm) of retained water, the size of the
leaks can be around 1 Gal/min/linear 3 ft. However, if the barrier retains 20 in (50 cm) of water, only about
1/2 Gal/min/ 3 ft will leak from it.
Your emergency plan should definitely include pumps to remove any water leaking through the Water-Gate. We
recommend using gas powered water pumps that do not depend on electrical power and plan to plan for leaks
that may be greater than the amount of water expected to flow under the barrier.
What about leaks from the Water-Gate system?
Will the Water-Gate barrier withstand freeze-thaw cycles?
Our PVC fabric manufacturer warrants it products against cracking at a temperature of -22
º
F (celsius), and
the polyethylene partitions are guaranteed to withstand temperatures as low as -40
º
F/C.
The PVC fabric and polyethylene used to make our barriers are the same as those used for road transport and
car shelters. They are very resistant to extreme temperatures and have proven their worth over several decades
of freeze-thaw cycles.
The water barrier in the photograph below was placed in a stream at a temperature of -4
º
F (C)for a period of
three days. A layer of ice formed on the inside, at the top of the PVC (yellow) fabric, but was very easy to
remove by just tapping the barrier. The ice came unstuck, immediately oated to the top of the barrier,
slid over it and ended up behind it. We were then able to dismantle the barrier in the same way as in summer,
with the exception that the remaining water quickly formed into ice crystals, and the barrier became instantly
dry and clean.
27.