What Are Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs)?

A sustainable drainage system refers to the approach a principal designer would adopt to manage the quantity and quality of water, biodiversity, and amenities. The factors that matter include flooding, pollution, flora and fauna, and the infrastructure. It improves and balances the opportunities and challenges that affect the development of communities and urban design. SuDs are designed to manage rainfall close to where it falls and mimic nature in its management approach. It allows transporting of the surface water to run off before it enters a water body or even watercourses. It is diverted to natural contours for storage or allowed to seep into the ground or get evaporated or transpired from vegetation.

Benefits of SuDs

SuDs are beneficial to the environment as they cause minimal or no damage in the long term, even if the challenges brought by climate change are detrimental. Environment agencies endorse source control and sustainable draining. Expert civil engineers employ strategies to control the system in such a way that it drains the surface water in an efficient and sustainable manner. They ensure that the water quality of local water bodies is least affected and pollution kept at a minimum. The system effectively manages flooding conditions and achieves run-off flows while minimising the effects of pollution and recharging groundwater. A team of experts will review the existing hydrological and hydrogeological factors and obtain necessary approvals from statutory bodies. Your principal designer can take you from conceptual design to detailed design in order to build a cost-effective and efficient system across all sectors.

Sustainable Vs. Traditional Drainage Systems

Urbanisation in a catchment reduces its permeability and increases the rate of run-off. The opportunities for natural management of water are reduced, and the potential for pollution is increased. If piped systems cannot handle the rainfall, it causes localised flooding. Sustainable drainage systems manage the volume of runoff water and flowrates from hard surfaces, which will reduce the ill effects of urbanisation. The system uses the runoff water where it falls. As it reduces pollution from the runoff, the water quality is enhanced. The natural flow is protected, and it allows evapotranspiration from surface water and vegetation.

Design a SuD

To create a better place to work, play and live, you can get help from expert civil engineers and build your surface drainage strategy with the help of leading design software. The philosophy is to replicate nature, considering the opportunities and constraints of a site. The objective would be to manage water quantity, water quality and biodiversity as close to the natural process as possible.