Sustainable Drainage Systems

FiveRivers can provide full service for your sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) scheme

Sustainable drainage systems, also known as ‘SuDS’, can be found in the urban environment as an alternative to traditional overland drainage, water storage and treatment and has become a mandatory requirement for all new developments in England since 2024.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) provide multiple benefits to urban sites and are designed primarily to alleviate surface water flooding, provide biodiversity and amenity benefits and increase the quality of water entering watercourses as it passes out of the development site.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) can also be used to prevent overwhelming close to full capacity sewerage systems and forcing combined sewage overflows (CSO’s) to discharge both storm water and sewerage into waterways.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) are environmentally beneficial, causing no long-term detrimental damage as long as they are managed and maintained correctly.

The Problems

Mandatory for Developments

As areas become increasingly developed and urbanised, the natural runoff of surface water is restricted. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are the best and most environmentally friendly way to manage surface water.

Surface water is a valuable resource this should be reflected in how all urban developments are designed and developed. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs), from 2024 with the review of the Flood and Water Management act 2010, is a mandatory requirement of all development sites from the beginning of the development process, influencing the design and layout of site.

Without sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) other site management will need to be put in place to:

  • Minimise impervious pavements and infrastructure that can increase run off. As the proportion of impervious area onsite increases so to does run off.
  • Reduce the impact of high rainfall events on surface water drainage systems which can easily become overwhelmed. Better design can identify and build in opportunities to divert water to gardens and other impervious structures which reduce localised flooding, sewerage networks becoming overloaded and discharge from combined sewerage overflows into waterways
  • Reduce the impact of drain misconnections and pollution from roads, pathways and bad practice. Installing sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) at the beginning, or retrofitting to existing sites, can reduce the need for expensive maintenance, education programmes and surveying to address these issues.
The Solutions

Multiple Benefits

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) are a flexible approach to surface water treatment on development sites providing multiple benefits that can be designed to be both value for money and inspirational. FiveRivers have the expertise, knowledge and experience to help you achieve the most appropriate sustainable drainage system for your development and meet the necessary planning requirements.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) can help with:

  • Flooding – they can manage the risk of surface water flooding
  • Poor water quality – sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) can reduce the impact of disuse pollution and increase water quality
  • Water resources – sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) can help to recharge groundwater supplies and capture rainwater for re-use purposes

At FiveRivers we can provide the full service for your sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) scheme, from flood risk and flow modelling, through design to construction and then monitoring of the water quality to show the benefits and highlight improvements, all with our in-house team of experts. Contact us to explore more about our range of solutions for achieving sustainable drainage.

Contact us

Talk to an expert in SuDS

Sam Whitall

Operations Manager

Get in touch by either phone or email to speak with Sam and discuss your needs. Alternatively click the button below to complete our contact form.

Telephone: 01722 783 041

Email: sales@five-rivers.com

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