The Future of High-Rise Drainage: Sovent System Explained

In modern building design, especially for high-rise towers, plumbing systems face increasing demands. Architects push for slimmer shafts, developers aim to cut costs, and MEP engineers must ensure reliable performance under extreme usage. The traditional waste and vent system has served us well for decades, but in tall and space-restricted buildings, it can feel outdated and inefficient. That’s where the Sovent Drainage System comes in, an engineering innovation that merges efficiency with practicality by replacing two vertical stacks with just one.

The Limitation of Conventional Waste & Vent Systems:

1. Two Stacks, More Space

Conventional systems require:

  • Waste stack – Carries wastewater from fixtures down to the building’s drainage network.
  • Vent stack – Balances air pressure in the waste stack to protect trap seals.
  • This dual-stack arrangement takes up more shaft space—space that could be used for other services or sold as usable area in commercial and residential projects.

2. Material and Cost Implications

More stacks mean:

  • Greater pipe length (both vertical and horizontal).
  • Increased number of fittings, supports, and fire sleeves.
  • Longer installation times and higher labor costs.
  • In high-rise projects, these costs multiply with every floor.

3. Pressure Imbalance in Tall Buildings

The higher the building, the greater the variation in air pressure within stacks:

  • Negative pressure can siphon water from traps, allowing foul air to enter rooms.
  • Positive pressure can blow through traps, causing noise and potential health hazards.
  • Vent systems require complex relief vents and additional connections to counter these effects.

What makes the Sovent System different:

The Sovent concept replaces the traditional two-stack method with a single-stack design. Its performance is made possible by specialized fittings that control the interaction between water and air within the pipe.

Key Components: -

1. Aerator Fitting

  • The aerator is placed at each floor level, where horizontal branch drains from fixtures connect to the vertical Sovent stack. Its design is not just a simple “T” connection—it’s an engineered component with internal channels and curves.

Main function:

  • Flow Control – Slows wastewater as it enters the stack, reducing turbulence and preventing a surge effect.
  • Air-Water Separation – Directs water downwards while allowing air to rise past the connection point, avoiding the “slug” effect that can cause pressure spikes.
  • Trap Seal Protection –Maintains a clear air passage so the pressure in connected traps remains stable.

2. Deaerator (Relief) Fitting – Pressure Balancer

The deaerator, also known as a relief fitting, is typically installed every 10–15 floors or as determined by hydraulic calculations.

Main function:

  • Pressure Relief – Releases trapped air from the lower part of the stack to prevent excessive positive pressure.
  • Pressure Equalization – Creates a connection between the air path above and below the relief point, balancing conditions in the stack.
  • Trap Seal Preservation – Avoids both siphonage (negative pressure) and blowback (positive pressure) that could compromise sanitary conditions.

Advantages of Sovent Systems:

1. Space Efficiency:

  • A reduction in the number of stacks leads to a smaller shaft size, thereby increasing the amount of usable floor space.

2. Material and cost saving

  • By utilizing a single stack instead of a conventional multi-stack system, material usage is significantly reduced, making the design more cost-effective.

3. Faster Installation

  • The simplified design and reduced material usage enable quicker installation and minimize labor time.

4. Simplified inspection

  • Fewer pipes result in a less complex design, which facilitates easier inspection and maintenance.

5. Green building

  • Optimized material usage and an efficient design contribute to a reduced carbon footprint, supporting compliance with green building certification standards.

Application:

  • High-rise residential towers
  • Hotels & hospitality building
  • Mixed-use skyscrapers
  • Space-constrained renovation
  • Prefabricated or modular construction

Limitations of Sovent Systems:

  • Requires specialized components for design
  • Must be designed by trained engineers to avoid improper sizing and improper fitting placement to avoid hydraulic issues.
  • Not all plumbing codes or local authorities approve single-stack systems; special approvals or performance testing may be required, especially in regions with strict venting rules.
  • The number of fixtures and their arrangement per floor must be carefully calculated. Poorly planned layouts can lead to hydraulic overload and performance issues.

Conclusion:

The Sovent drainage system represents a forward-thinking solution for modern high-rise construction. By replacing the traditional dual-stack arrangement with a single, highly engineered stack, it not only optimizes space but also reduces material usage, installation time, and overall costs—while maintaining reliable hydraulic performance. Its use of aerator and deaerator fittings ensures a stable air-water balance, safeguarding trap seals and minimizing pressure fluctuations, which are critical in tall structures. Although the system requires specialized design expertise and may face regulatory limitations in certain regions, its benefits—ranging from space efficiency to sustainability—make it an attractive option for developers, architects, and engineers striving to deliver high-performance, future-ready buildings. As cities continue to grow vertically, Sovent technology is set to play a pivotal role in shaping smarter, greener, and more efficient drainage infrastructure for the next generation of high-rise developments.