MAIN FEATURE
design life of a scheme.
SABs within county and unitary authorities will be responsible for securing themeans tomaintain the SuDS they adopt, and it could be that the regulatory framework in England is similar to that used inWales. As currently understood, funding will be provided by the developer in the formof a commuted sumto the SuDS Approval Body (SAB) at the point of handover.
The timeframe for the enactment of Schedule 3, and themany other pieces of proposed legislation for the Plan forWater, remains uncertain – not least due to the uncertainty over when the next general election will be held. However, the urgent need to address water quality issues will onlymove up the political agenda.
Incorporating SuDS trains thatmanage both water quality and quantity into new developments does not necessarily have to increase capital costs. Good design can reduce costs over the lifetime of the SuDS and the development.
NEXT MONTHSMAIN FEATURE: Confined Spaces
Contact Ian Clarke to get involved
ian@nodigmedia.co.uk
Highway run-off
Pollution due to road run-off is a major problem in the UK. There are estimated to be over one million drains and outfalls from the strategic road network and local authority roads, the majority of which run straight into rivers and otherwater courses with no measures to treat the pollution in thewater before they do.
The result of this is a build-up of toxic pollution in riverbeds,water, fish and other aquatic life. Run-off from roads contains high amounts of suspended solids which sit on the bed of awatercourse, bringing with them other pollutants which are released over time. Pollutants include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), metals and microplastics from brakes and tyres.
Only 4,000 out of 26,000 outfalls and soakaways from the Strategic Road Network, run by National Highways in England, have measures in place to treat pollution. The Environmental Permitting Regulations say that highways authorities can discharge road-run off intowater bodies only if it doesn’t cause pollution. However, the Environment Agency has never required a road authority to apply for a permit where polluted road run-off is discharging straight into rivers and otherwater bodies.
The Plan forWater does mention this issue, but there is 12
no firmplan for action when it comes to road run-off. Instead, it says that it is “considering actions to take to reduce the impacts of the Strategic Road Network on water quality as part of developing the next Road Investment Strategy.”The Government will also consider ‘targeted action’ for roads owned by local authorities whose road run-off is contributing to pollution.
This falls short of the urgent action which the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) called for in itsWater Quality in Rivers report, published in January 2022. One of its suggestionswas that the Environment Agency should require discharge permits for any road with annual average daily traffic above 15,000 vehicles.
National Highways has a target of improving 17.5kmof water bodies every year.
The plan reports that to date National Highways has delivered over 30water quality initiatives which have improved just under 20 miles (32km) ofwater bodies. In 2020-21, its annual report said it had improved 17kmof waterbody, so it appears to be missing its targets.
There are a number ofways that run-off from roads can be treated for pollution before it enters awater body. SuDS can be used as part of thewater treatment train.
| June 2023 |
www.draintraderltd.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
