Water

Improving Surface Water Drainage

Latest News

  • 25 June 2008 Publication of the final report on the Integrated Urban Drainage Pilots together with the final reports from each of the pilot studies

  • 30 April 2008 The improving surface water drainage consultation has now closed.  A summary of the responses will be published in July 2008.

  • 3 April 2008 Phil Woolas, Defra's Minister for the Environment, sets out his vision for improving surface water drainage in the latest issue of Surveyor magazine

  • 2 April 2008 BBC's The One Show examined how permeable paving could assist with draining heavy rainfall events

Image of attenuation pond for new development SUDS attenuation pond for a new development in North Gosforth, Newcastle.


Background

The floods last summer exemplified the distress and damage that surface water flooding can cause.  The Environment Agency, as part of their review of the summer floods, estimate 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 interim 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.

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. Further information is available from Communities and Local Government.

Image of pond forming part of SUDS drainage scheme for housing development 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 on improving surface water drainage. The consultation closed on 30 April 2008.

In line with Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations, the consultation put forward detailed proposals to improve the way that surface water is currently managed.

  1. Establishing Surface Water Management Plans as a tool to improve co-ordination of activities between stakeholders involved in surface water drainage.  This part of the consultation addresses the long-recognised fragmented responsibilities for managing surface water drainage.  Surface Water Management Plans could provide a much-needed co-ordinating mechanism.  In the consultation, we ask stakeholders for their views on whether preparation of the plans should remain voluntary or become required in high risk areas, and what roles each of the key stakeholders should play.
  2. Clarifying responsibilities for ownership and adoption of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS).  This part of the consultation asks stakeholders for their views on options for encouraging SUDS as a viable alternative to connecting surface water into sewers.  It puts forward specific proposals in relation to responsibilities, policies and processes to increase uptake of SUDS.
  3. Reviewing automatic right to connect (Section 106 of the Water Industry Act 1991).  This part of the consultation reviews the existing and long-standing ability of developers and property owners to connect surface water drains or sewers to the public sewerage system, which could act as a potential barrier to the use of SUDS.  The right to connect foul drains and sewers to the public sewerage system will remain.  Traditional piped drainage has delivered many benefits and will continue to have a role to play as part of surface water drainage.  But to prepare for climate change and continuing development pressures, we should ensure that a much fuller range of drainage approaches is considered when surface water drainage systems are designed, constructed and improved in the future.

To support this consultation, two stakeholder consultation events were held on the 10 and 14 April 2008. Outputs from the events will be available shortly. A summary of the responses will be published in July 2008 along with details of how work will be taken forward.

Any queries related to the consultation on improving surface water drainage should be sent via email to surfacewaterdrainage@defra.gsi.gov.uk or by post to Defra, Flood Management, Ergon House, Area 2D, Horesferry Road, London, SW1P 2AL.

Image of a green roof Green roofs can play a key part in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Related Reports

Page last modified: 25 June 2008
Page published: 7 February 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs