Return to Fire Fighting Technologies News
AQUA-SACŪ Self-Inflating Sandless Sandbag Now Available in Australia
21 Jul 2009
AQUA-SAC® is the first-of-its-kind self-inflating “sandless” sandbag. It has been successfully used in the UK for the past 5 years in numerous deployments, large and small. AQUA-SAC® is now available in Australia and New Zealand through its Sydney-based distributor, Fire Fighting Technologies International Pty Ltd (www.ffti.com.au).
With the predicted effects of climate change so evident in our world today, the arrival of the AQUA-SAC® in Australia couldn’t be more timely. Erratic weather patterns, flash flooding and more severe storms, such as those experienced in Queensland and Northern New South Wales early this year, are increasing and the outcomes can be devastating for individuals and communities. In times of flooding it is essential that properties are prepared and adequate protection at hand.
AQUA-SAC® consists of a sturdy jute sack, containing a superabsorbent polymer (SAP), which is retained inside a finely-woven inner cotton bag. Soaked in fresh water, in a bath/laundry tub, a sink, a pool/spa or even with floodwaters, AQUA-SAC® inflates in 3 to 5 minutes to 30 times its original size.
Compact when un-inflated (actually delivered in vacuum-sealed bags) and with a 5-year shelf life, it can be easily stored and transported and therefore is readily at hand.
AQUA-SAC® offers obvious advantages over traditional sandbags. Similar in size, it only weighs 13kg (compared to 25-30kg for a sandbag) thus reducing manual handling risks and allowing use by elderly people. Totally self-contained it’s clean and tidy for indoor as well as outdoor use. It can be used to build flood defense or simply to absorb seepage.
Unlike other “sandless” sandbags, AQUA-SAC® is stable when stacked thanks to the patented solution of connecting the opposing sides of the envelope giving the bag a flat shape when inflated.
Thanks to its biodegradable envelope and inert, non-toxic filling, AQUA-SAC® is suitable for disposal in landfill or incineration plants. Another possibility for disposal of limited numbers of AQUA-SAC® is greening, whereby bags are buried under trees during planting to provide a water reservoir.
“A broad spectrum of Australian users, from State Emergency Services to Local Governments, from construction companies to flood-prone industrial sites, from hydraulic contractors to plumbers and of course individual home owner-occupiers or tenants, can benefit from AQUA-SAC®” said Nicolas Souchaud, FFT Sales and Marketing Manager.
“Flood risk is rated in Australia and New Zealand as the #2 and #1 natural disaster risk. As the distributor of AQUA-SAC® in these countries, our aim is to provide businesses, government agencies and individuals with an intuitive, fast and easy to deploy solution to mitigate this risk, thus improving asset and property protection today and tomorrow,” said Nicolas Souchaud.
For further information, please contact FFT on 02 9253 4990 or info@ffti.com.au.