Improving Surface Water Drainage
Latest News
- 4 March 2009 New ‘Living Draft ‘ Surface Water Management Plan Guidance version 1 published for informal consultation – closing date for comments 30 June 2009
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SUDS attenuation pond for a new development in North Gosforth, Newcastle.Introduction
The 2007 floods exemplified the distress and damage that surface water flooding can cause. The Environment Agency, as part of their review of the summer floods, estimated that two-thirds of the 57,000 homes affected were flooded from surface water runoff overloading drainage systems. Combined damage from the June and July floods is estimated to be around £3 billion. Sir Michael Pitt’s report of the summer floods has highlighted the risks of surface water flooding and put forward recommendations to reduce the chance of such an event occurring again.
The problems will only worsen unless we take steps to manage the risk effectively. The Government’s Foresight report estimated that currently 80,000 properties are at very high risk from surface water flooding (10% annual chance), causing on average £270 million of damage each year. With climate change these costs will increase if we take no action and could rise to several billion.
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Pond forming part of the SUDS drainage scheme at a housing development in Fleet, Hampshire. Photo courtesy of the Environment Agency. Improving Surface Water Drainage
Surface water flooding occurs where high rainfall events exceed the drainage capacity in an area. Such events can also lead to serious flooding of property and possessions where surface water flows and collects. Defra invited views from stakeholders on a consultation (PDF 512 KB) on improving surface water drainage. In line with Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations, the consultation put forward detailed proposals to improve the way that surface water is currently managed. The consultation closed on 30 April 2008. A summary of the responses received was published (PDF 380 KB) on 17 September 2008.
The Government's response to the Pitt Review includes our proposals for improving surface water mangement. These proposals have been informed by the full range of consultation results, together with findings from the urban drainage pilots and the recommendations from the Pitt Review and the EFRA Select Committee.
The Government previously announced in June 2008 that under the Environment Agency’s new strategic overview role in England for all sources of flood risk, local authorities will take responsibility for surface water management, including Surface Water Management Plans.
Surface Water Management Plans
As part of the Government's response to the Pitt Review, Ministers announced investment of £15 million to help local authorities co-ordinate and lead local flood management work. As an immediate step, six local authorities are being funded to develop first edition surface water management plans.
Living Draft Surface Water Plan Guidance Version 1 is available to local authorities on how to produce of Surface Water Management Plans. This is an informal consultation and we would like your feedback on the content so we can develop the Guidance further. The deadline for comments is the 30th June 2009. A questionnaire is available for your response.
Water Strategy
The Government’s new Water Strategy, Future Water, sets out a vision for more effective management of surface water, in order to deal with the dual pressures of climate change and housing development. By the 2030s, we will manage surface water more sustainably, by allowing for the increased capture and reuse of water, slow absorption through the ground, and more above-ground storage and routing of surface water separate from the foul sewer, where appropriate. Water will be increasingly managed on the surface, rather than relying on wholesale upgrade of the sewer system to higher design standards, which will be costly and a lengthy process.
The Strategy also announced changes to household permitted development rights, so that planning permission is not required for paving from gardens, provided porous materials are used. Communites and Local Government published guidance on the 10 September 2008.
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Related Reports
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology – POST note on Urban Flooding (PDF)
- Defra - Water Strategy, Future Water (2008)
- Defra -draft Social and Environmental Guidance to Ofwat (2008)
- Defra - Vivid Economics Report on Funding and charging arrangements for sustainable urban drainage systems (PDF) (May 2007)
- Communities and Local Government - Permeable paving Impact Assessment (2008)
- Environment Agency Open Board (PDF) setting out some of the policy issues on surface water management that have come to light following the summer floods
- DTI Global Watch Mission on Sustainable Drainage Systems (PDF) (registration required)
- CIRIA Good Practice Guidance on Designing for exceedance in urban drainage
- CIRIA Good Practice Guidance on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, including Local authority network on drainage and flood risk management
Links
Any queries related to improving surface water drainage should be sent via email to surfacewaterdrainage@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Page last
modified: 06 March 2009
Page published: 7 February 2008