The Sustainable Approach


Rob Barlow, Managing Director of TDP considers why problems with flooding are on the increase and explains how a more sustainable approach to ground works and drainage is providing the answer.


The increasing problems we face with surface water drainage are being caused mainly by the changes in the climate and over development with hard, impermeable surfaces. Storms and heavy rainfall are exacerbating the problems with surface water drainage because the unprecedented water levels experienced over the last few years often exert undue pressure on existing flood control and drainage systems, and cause localised flooding and water pollution. This situation looks set to increase as weather patterns continue to change. Where development is concerned, the over use of hard, impermeable


materials for roads, driveways and car parks has led to drainage problems which have become a major issue, leading to an increase in flooding and environmental contamination. Currently 80,000 properties are at significant risk from surface water flooding, causing on average £270 million of damage each year (Source: Foresight 2004 Government Report). Hard surfaces can increase surface water run off by up to 50% which results in drainage systems being overloaded very quickly which can lead to localised flooding. Serious flooding in 2007 affected several parts of the UK causing damage estimated at about £3 billion (Source: Environment Agency). This has lead to a demand for effective solutions to counteract the problem, a different strategy for drainage that keeps water on site for longer, prevents pollution and allows storage and use of the water. Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) offer an alternative to


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existing methods which are not meeting the needs of development and climate change. SUDS are designed to deal with surface water run off in a controlled way, to minimise or prevent flooding. The philosophy behind SUDS is to try to mimic natural systems that use cost-effective solutions with low environmental impact to drain away dirty and surface water run- off through collection, storage and cleaning before releasing it back into the environment. Ideally, SUDS should be easy to look after, require little or no energy input, be hard wearing and be attractive in the environment. An effective SUDS design includes measures to prevent pollution,


reduce surface water run off at source and also to offer a range of physical structures designed to receive the run off.


Source Control Source control measures include the replacement of hard, impermeable surfaces with permeable areas which allow excess drain water to soak into the ground. The popularity of domestic driveway conversions using paving and tarmac has prompted the rise in impermeable surfaces in urban areas which has exacerbated the problems with surface water drainage during heavy rainfall. This issue has now been addressed by legislation. From 1 October 2008 planning laws that allowed front gardens to be paved without planning permission have changed in order to reduce the impact of this


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