Floods, SuDS and paving
When you are planning a new or replacement drive, patio or other paving, whether around an existing home or as part of a new-build, you probably don’t think about where the rainwater landing on it will end up. But taking a responsible approach to drainage helps the fight against flooding and satisfies planning rules, as the trade association Interpave explains
C
ontinuing growth of our towns and cities is causing an increasing amount of rain- water to be captured on streets, car
parks, building roofs and drives, which then flows into sewers causing flooding of rivers and streams. Existing drainage systems simply can- not cope and the problem is made worse by heavy storms, highlighted again this winter, and more are predicted with climate change.
Pollution dangers
Roads, car parks and even driveways also collect pollution from car exhausts, tyre-wear, oil leaks and other sources – and when it rains this gets washed into sewers, rivers and streams. Older ‘combined sewers’ carrying both rainwa- ter and ‘foul water’ from toilets, baths, sinks, etc., often have overflows that operate in heavy rain diverting all the flows, including raw sewage, into rivers and streams. With more rainwater running into these sewers, the over- flows operate more often.
Roads, car parks and even
driveways also collect pollution from car exhausts, tyre-wear, oil leaks and other sources
The ‘sealing up’ of our towns and cities also
stops rainfall soaking into the ground. The water table levels drop causing more water shortages, streams and ponds to dry up, and trees to be deprived of water. It could also affect the foun- dations of your home, particularly on clay soils, as they dry out and shrink.
Cumulative impact
All these problems are made worse if you cover your garden with impermeable paving and just let the water run straight into the sewers or onto the road – which is generally not allowed any-
Continued overleaf... selfbuilder & homemaker
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