System for infiltrating water into the ground

Apparatus for infiltrating water into the, ground, wherein:

• the apparatus includes a discharge pipe, the walls of which define a hollow interior chamber;
• the pipe has an entry port, for receiving doses of the water to be infiltrated, into the hollow interior chamber;
• the apparatus includes an operable dosing means, which is operable on a periodic basis, and which is effective, when operated, to supply a dose-volume of water into the entry port;
• the apparatus includes a pipe-support-structure, which is suitable for supporting the pipe above the surface of the ground into which the water is to be infiltrated;
• the pipe-support-structure includes a plurality of supports, the supports being so arranged as to support the pipe at intervals, the lengths of the pipe between the supports being termed the sag-lengths;
• the pipe has such a degree of structural flexibility that the sag-lengths of the pipe substantially sag down;
• in respect of each sag-length, the vertical distance through which the pipe sags down is large enough that a substantial volume of water can collect in the sag-length, and can become isolated in the sag-length, in the sense that water in the collected volume of water in the sag-length cannot flow along the pipe, and away from the sag-length, under the action of gravity alone;
• the pipe is provided with drain-holes, the drain-holes being disposed respectively in each of the sag-lengths of the pipe;
• the respective drain-holes are so arranged in relation to the sag-lengths of the pipe that water in the sag-lengths can drain out of the drain-holes;
• the respective drain-holes are so positioned in relation to the sag-lengths that the collected volumes of water in the sag-lengths can drain therefrom substantially completely, leaving each sag-length substantially completely empty.