3 Chamberlain Square — pre-commission cleaning, disinfection & commissioning.
A landmark 189,000 sq ft commercial development on Birmingham's Paradise estate. BWS delivered full BG29 pre-commission cleaning of the LTHW and CHW systems, chlorination of the domestic water, and water- and air-side commissioning through to client handover.
A landmark Paradise development.
3 Chamberlain Square is one of the standout commercial buildings in Birmingham's £700 million Paradise regeneration. The brief: deliver a Grade A workspace with high-spec end-of-trip facilities, modern washrooms, terraces and changing facilities across ten floors — over 22,500 sq ft of typical floorplate, 24-floor terrace and 200 cycle spaces.
BWS was appointed to deliver the full water-side scope across heating, chilled and domestic systems — getting the building's plant clean, disinfected and commissioned to a programme aligned with the main contractor's handover date.
Scope at a glance
- Pre-commission cleaning of LTHW & CHW closed systems
- BG29-compliant flushing, chemical clean and passivation
- BS8558 chlorination of domestic hot & cold water systems
- Water commissioning & balancing across all 10 floors
- Ventilation commissioning to CIBSE Code A across all floors
- UKAS-accredited sampling and witnessing
- Fortnightly closed-system sampling post-handover
- Full evidence pack to client and main contractor
Three streams, one accountable team.
BG29 Pre-Commission Cleaning
Full BG29/2021-aligned dynamic flushing of the LTHW and CHW closed systems, followed by alkaline chemical cleaning and inhibitor passivation. UKAS-accredited acceptance sampling against BG29 chemistry targets — turbidity, iron, copper, total bacteria, sulphate-reducing bacteria and inhibitor residual.
BS8558 Disinfection
Chlorination of the domestic hot and cold water installation to BS8558 — 50 ppm free chlorine, one-hour contact, sodium thiosulphate neutralisation, post-disinfection bacteriological sampling for Legionella, TVC, coliforms and Pseudomonas. BS8558 certificate issued for handover.
Water Systems Commissioning
Hydraulic balancing of the LTHW and CHW networks across all 10 floors against design flow rates, PICV setting and recording, witnessing of pump performance, and final commissioning data sheets aligned to CIBSE Code W. Full PICV flowrate schedules issued in the evidence pack.
Ventilation Commissioning — CIBSE Code A
Air-side commissioning of the supply and extract ventilation across all 10 floors to CIBSE Code A. AHU performance verification, ductwork balancing, supply/extract flow rates measured and proportionally regulated, FCU airflows witnessed and recorded against design.
Post-Handover Sampling
Fortnightly closed-system sampling continued post-handover to verify the chemistry remained within BG50 targets while the building filled with tenants and the system load ramped up. Sample tracker maintained against client thresholds.
A Grade A finish, ready for tenants.
The water-side work supports a finished building delivered to a high standard — from the main reception and end-of-trip facilities to the open-plan floorplates above.
The compliance map for 3 Chamberlain Square.
The headline standard for getting a new closed system clean before handover — dynamic flush, chemical clean, passivation, sample evidence.
Code of practice for the design, installation, testing and maintenance of services supplying water for domestic use — the standard the BS8558 certificate evidenced.
The technical standard for balancing and commissioning of hydronic water distribution systems.
The technical standard for testing and balancing of supply and extract ventilation systems — used across all 10 floors at 3CS.
The ongoing chemistry standard against which fortnightly post-handover samples were checked.
The sampling methodology for the closed-system fortnightly programme.
Handed over on programme, clean, chlorinated, balanced.
3 Chamberlain Square handed over to the client on schedule with a complete BWS evidence pack — BG29 acceptance chemistry, BS8558 chlorination certificate, BS8552 closed-system sample tracker, commissioning data sheets, PICV flowrate schedules and photographic evidence — all delivered into the O&M manuals.
The water systems entered service clean, with inhibitor in spec, microbiology at acceptance, and chemistry being monitored fortnightly through tenant occupation. Exactly how a new building's water-side should start its life.
What was delivered
- BG29 acceptance chemistry — first time
- BS8558 chlorination certificates
- UKAS-accredited Legionella, TVC, coliform and Pseudomonas samples
- CIBSE Code W commissioning data sheets
- CIBSE Code A ventilation balancing records (all 10 floors)
- PICV flowrate schedules — LTHW & CHW
- Closed-system fortnightly sample tracker
- Full evidence pack into client O&M manuals