In England, the Department for the Environment, DEFRA, have published the recommendations from their review for the Implementation of Schedule 3 of the Floods and Water Management Act today.
Schedule 3 describes a process whereby all new developments must include sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) that manage stormwater on site. The SuDS system must capture and store the stormwater when it rains, only allowing it to escape from the site slowly so that it doesn’t contribute to flood risk. The system must also capture and re-use rainwater if possible, create habitats for wildlife, capture and treat any pollution, and make the development an attractive place to live.
Schedule 3 provides a framework for the approval and adoption of sustainable drainage systems, an approving body (SAB), and national standards on the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of SuDS. Also, it makes the right to connect surface water runoff to public sewers conditional upon the drainage system being approved before any construction work can start.
This is brilliant news for stormwater management. It means that developers will have to consider their drainage system early on in every development, and consider ways to use rainwater to enhance the environment and their development, rather than to consider it a nuisance to be piped off site as quickly as possible.
It may also mean that more homes are equipped with rainwater capture, to flush toilets and to water the garden, which will help to protect precious water resources.
It will take a couple of years for the Schedule to be fully enacted, and for SuDS on new developments to be mandatory and, in that time, we need to train up SuDS practitioners quickly so that there is not a great gap in our skills when the time comes. If you work in drainage design, take some time today to think about the skills that you might need to develop so that you can play your part in the delivery of SuDS next year.
But all in all, this is excellent news for stormwater management in England and great way to start the New Year!
You can read the detail of the DEFRA recommendations here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1128073/The_review_for_implementation_of_Schedule_3_to_The_Flood_and_Water_Management_Act_2010.pdf
