Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) - an introduction
Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) offer an alternative approach to drainage in developed areas.
These pages explain briefly the problems with traditional drainage practices, outline why SUDS offer a more sustainable option for drainage and provide links to sources of further information.
Click on the SUDS links for:
- Details of the various techniques used in SUDS drainage
- Information on our SUDS policy Planning and SUDS
- Technical guidance from the Environment Agency and others
- Details of key groups involved with SUDS
- Information on research currently being undertaken in the SUDS field
- Links to relevant web sites
- The Interim Code of Practice for Sustainable Drainage Systems
- Our SUDS – an introduction publication
Problem
Traditional drainage is designed to move rainwater as rapidly as possible from the point at which it has fallen to a discharge point, either a watercourse or soakaway. This approach has a number of harmful effects:
- run-off from hard paving and roofing can increase the risk of flooding downstream, as well as causing sudden rises in water levels and flow rates in watercourses
- surface water run-off can contain contaminants such as oil, organic matter and toxic metals. Although often at low levels, cumulatively they can result in poor water quality in rivers and groundwater, affecting biodiversity, amenity value and potential water abstraction. After heavy rain, the first flush is often highly polluting
- by diverting rainfall to piped systems, water is stopped from soaking into the ground,, depleting ground water and reducing flows in watercourses in dry weather
As a result, many urban watercourses are lifeless and unattractive, and are often hidden in culverts under the ground.
