Implementation Of Sustainable Drainage Systems Research Articles

Urban drainage network simulation using EPA SWMM for SuDS measures planning: a case study in Brazil

This paper investigates the implementation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) measures in a small urban catchment as runoff peak flow and total runoff volume control. The study area was calibrated for the pre-occupation scenario and, subsequently, a post-occupation scenario was proposed. Three structural measures were then tested: infiltration trench, rainwater harvesting, and a detention basin. The modelling was performed using the EPA SWMM. The simulation results showed that there was an increase of more than 115% of the total runoff volume in the post-occupation scenario. The results confirm that these structural measures can contribute to the reduction of peak flows in developing areas. Combinations of measures were more efficient in controlling runoff than isolated measures. To avoid using end-of-pipe solutions, a combination of infiltration trenches and lot scale rainwater tanks measures should be considered. The methodology can be used to test various combinations of structural measures.

Understanding the stakeholder knowledge about, the mindset of and the power for the sustainability transformation of urban stormwater systems: An empirical analysis of three European urban districts

The implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) is believed to have the potential to bring about extensive change in stormwater management. This includes change in the crucial but still relatively little researched institutional context (prevailing mindset, etc.) shaping practice. This paper contributes to the further understanding of the institutional context surrounding SuDS deployment. Stakeholder knowledge, mindset, and power (both perceived and exercised) are explored, embracing divergences between district types (districts with SuDS and districts without SuDS), stakeholder groups (residents and various professionals), and two European socio-ecological contexts (Austria and Southern France). Results show increasing support for SuDS implementation and ambitious approaches to stormwater management, although the latter in particular rarely has any effect in practice. A sharp dichotomy persists between residents and professionals in terms of knowledge and exercised power. Daily experience with SuDS rarely has any influence on residents' knowledge and mindset, regardless of their demographic, social and geographical characteristics. Stakeholders appear motivated but tend to feel incapable of contributing to change. Information campaigns and the provision of empowerment tools to those individuals who feel motivated, but unaware of their capabilities, need to be developed in order to enable further change.

Sustainable drainage retrofit case study: Counters Creek Flood Alleviation Scheme, UK

While the implementation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) is becoming widespread in new developments, the retrofitting of SuDS is emerging as a technique on its own, with the added risks of h...

A new analytical tool for a more deliberate implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems

This paper presents a new analytical tool for a more deliberate qualitative assessment of and guidance for the way Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are governed and technically implemented. It is the result of a combination of concepts from various alternative “sustainability” approaches and provides for the first time a set of detailed but not exhaustive aspects and sub-aspects that are critical for holistic implementation. A wide range of topics relevant for the attainment of radical change are embraced that had been rarely simultaneously considered in practice and research until now. Analyses at neighbourhood level in the solarCity (Linz, Austria) and Monges-Croix du Sud (Cornebarrieu, France), where SuDS have been comprehensively deployed, demonstrate the suitability of the tool for the provision of a more holistic perspective and direction for further change. Both projects represent the accomplishment of important steps towards sustainable stormwater management, but wider perspectives are required if the positive effects achieved are to be extended. Efforts have been made to understand the bio-physical traits of place prior to design and subsequently fulfil some technical demands, but reticence remains to: a) explore “closer to nature” solutions and transformative social considerations, and b) enter a continuous cycle of co-evolution.

Modelling the Role of SuDS Management Trains in Minimising Flood Risk, Using MicroDrainage

This novel research models the impact that commonly used sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) have on runoff, and compare this to their land take. As land take is consistently cited as a key barrier to the wider implementation of SuDS, it is essential to understand the possible runoff reduction in relation to the area they take up. SuDS management trains consisting of different combinations of detention basins, green roofs, porous pavement and swales were designed in MicroDrainage. In this study, this is modelled against the 1% Annual Exceedance Potential storm (over 30, 60, 90, 120, 360 and 720 min, under different infiltration scenarios), to determine the possible runoff reduction of each device. Detention basins were consistently the most effective regarding maximum runoff reduction for the land they take (0.419 L/s/m2), with porous pavement the second most effective, achieving 0.145 L/s/m2. As both green roofs (20.34%) and porous pavement (6.76%) account for land that would traditionally be impermeable, there is no net-loss of land compared to a traditional drainage approach. Consequently, although the modelled SuDS management train accounts for 34.86% of the total site, just 7.76% of the land is lost to SuDS, whilst managing flooding for all modelled rainfall and infiltration scenarios.

Towards urban resilience through Sustainable Drainage Systems: A multi-objective optimisation problem

The necessity of incorporating a resilience-informed approach into urban planning and its decision-making is felt now more than any time previously, particularly in low and middle income countries. In order to achieve a successful transition to sustainable, resilient and cost-effective cities, there is a growing attention given to more effective integration of nature-based solutions, such as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), with other urban components. The experience of SuDS integration with urban planning, in developed cities, has proven to be an effective strategy with a wide range of advantages and lower costs. The effective design and implementation of SuDS requires a multi-objective approach by which all four pillars of SuDS design (i.e., water quality, water quantity, amenity and biodiversity) are considered in connection to other urban, social, and economic aspects and constraints. This study develops a resilience-driven multi-objective optimisation model aiming to provide a Pareto-front of optimised solutions for effective incorporation of SuDS into (peri)urban planning, applied to a case study in Brazil. This model adopts the SuDS's two pillars of water quality and water quantity as the optimisation objectives with its level of spatial distribution as decision variables. Also, an improved quality of life index (iQoL) is developed to re-evaluate the optimal engineering solutions to encompass the amenity and biodiversity pillars of SuDS. Rain barrels, green roofs, bio-retention tanks, vegetation grass swales and permeable pavements are the suitable SuDS options identified in this study. The findings show that the most resilient solutions are costly but this does not guarantee higher iQoL values. Bio-retention tanks and grass swales play effective roles in promotion of water quality resilience but this comes with considerable increase in costs. Permeable pavements and green roofs are effective strategies when flood resilience is a priority. Rain barrel is a preferred solution due to the dominance of residential areas in the study area and the lower cost of this option.

The transition to adaptive storm-water management: Learning from existing experiences in Italy and Southern France

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are solutions which use natural processes to manage storm-water. Having detected the inability of conventional storm-water management to cope alone with e.g. urban flooding, the incorporation of SuDS in action plans can enable a shift towards a more sustainable handling of storm-water. The principles underlying adaptive storm-water management can potentially be realised through the implementation of SuDS. However, the SuDS concept remains undeveloped and poorly researched in Mediterranean countries. This paper explores the extent to which SuDS have been used to manage floods in Italy and Southern France. Examples of SuDS are identified through a review of grey literature and then analysed by a set of socio-technical criteria that evaluate the adoption of the principles of adaptive storm-water management. Findings show an ongoing transition towards an adaptive approach, although mature adaptive storm-water management has been neither supported in policy nor realised in practice. SuDS are fostered in both countries but while a recent increase in their adoption can be observed in Southern France, their implementation is more limited in Italy. However, a conservative and technically focused policy and implementation process has been promoted. Governance practices have, for instance, undergone almost no change.

Delivering sustainable drainage systems through the English planning system: A proposed case of institutional void

AbstractFollowing a series of flood events, the major flooding of 2007 finally triggered legislative change through the Flood and Water Management Act of 2010 and proposed the introduction of Schedule 3 (S3), to provide a stronger regulatory system for the implementation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). However, S3 has been abandoned in England in favour of implementing SuDS through a “strengthened” planning system. By taking a broader governance perspective, this article explores the limited uptake of SuDS through the strengthened planning system. We argue that the so‐called strengthening of the planning system creates an institutional void: a lack of policy clarity that occurs when the role of the state is scaled back and other actors take up governance roles. While institutional voids can create successful outcomes, in the case of SuDS implementation they have been sub‐optimal. We trace the cause of these outcomes to the unwillingness of the Government to engage in designing policy. This creates a lack of consistency and uniformity, as the implementation of SuDS becomes a matter of ad hoc negotiations and power relations between local authorities and developers. We conclude that the current policy has reduced potential to deliver better outcomes and highlight the options for increased SuDS uptake going forward.

Land-Use and Legislation-Based Methodology for the Implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems in the Semi-Arid Region of Brazil

In developing countries, the urbanisation process occurs with empirical urban management, a high increase of impermeable areas, and a lack of connection between water resource management and planning. In Brazil, concentrated rainfall and ineffective urban drainage systems add to this context and may impact the population with flash floods. Although sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are widely used for flood mitigation, it is still not very well known how those strategies behave in semi-arid regions, where most of the time the weather is very dry. In Brazil, flood mitigation still mostly involves structural measures such as larger pipes or channels, with limited guidance for SuDS use due to the great resistance to change by citizens and managers. This study sought to analyse the efficacy of SuDS in Campina Grande, a semi-arid region of Brazil. A land-use and legislation-based methodology was developed with physical, climate, hydrological and governance data for three catchments and 312 sub-catchments in 30 applications and simulations. Simulations suggest that these strategies would be appropriate for semi-arid regions, with reductions in the flooded area, flooding volume, and impacts. This study is of relevance for cities with a similar climate to reach a sustainable level of urban drainage services, supporting the integration of urban planning and water resources management.

A physically based model for mesoscale SuDS – an alternative to large-scale urban drainage simulations

This study presents a deterministic, lumped model to simulate mesoscale sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) based on a conceptualization of the stormwater control measures (SCMs) making up the system and their influence on the runoff process. The conceptualization mainly relies on parameters that are easily quantifiable based on the physical characteristics of the SCMs. Introducing a nonlinear reservoir model at the downstream end of the SuDS results in a fast model that can realistically describe the runoff process at low computational cost. Modelled hydrographs for the study area in Malmö, Sweden, matched data with regard to the overall shape of the hydrograph as well as the peak discharge and lag time. These output parameters are critical factors to be considered in the design of large systems consisting of mesoscale SuDS. The algebraic foundation of the developed model makes it suitable for large-scale applications (e.g., macroscale), where the simulation time is a decisive factor. In this respect, city-wide optimization studies for the most efficient location and implementation of SuDS are substantially accelerated due to fast and easy model setup. Moreover, the simplicity of the model facilitates more effective communication between all the actors engaged in the urban planning process, including political decision makers, urban planners, and urban water engineers.

Strategic Framework for Sustainable Management of Drainage Systems in Semi-Arid Cities: An Iraqi Case Study

For the purpose of this paper, Erbil city, located in the northern part of Iraq, has been chosen as a representative case study for a large number of cities, particularly in semi-arid areas, lacking sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). The study assesses (a) the role of SuDS as a measure in areas with a water shortage; (b) water scarcity in decision-making processes; (c) the lack of legislation to implement SuDS; (d) the adverse effects of climate change on the urban drainage system; and (e) the effects of an increased population on SuDS implementation. An integrated methodology that incorporates a self-administrated questionnaire, workshops, face-to-face communication and interviews, as well as electronic media interactions, were used to achieve the objectives. A generic platform that consists of thirteen pillars, supporting the short to long-term national policies and strategies towards a sustainable urban drainage system, has been developed. Results showed that environmental laws need to be introduced. Findings also indicate that a growing population, which is partly due to an increase of internally displaced people, is a major challenge to an early application of SuDS, due to a rise in land demand and a lack of financial resources.

Development of a suitability map for infiltration sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)

Infiltration sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) such as soakaways and permeable pavements use the capacity of the subsurface to attenuate surface water. The implementation of SuDS is required by the Floods and Water Management Act 2010, and the associated National Standards for Sustainable Drainage prioritise infiltration over other surface water drainage methods. This paper describes the development of a nationally derived Infiltration SuDS Map that enables preliminary assessment of the suitability of the ground for infiltration SuDS. It shows that national geological and hydrogeological datasets, developed by the British Geological Survey, can be used to support early planning decisions. The map comprises 24 GIS layers that both summarise and provide subsurface information on the suitability of the ground with respect to significant flooding and stability constraints, the drainage potential and considerations relating to ground stability and groundwater protection. The map was validated using an independent database of SuDS installations and was found to accurately describe the ground conditions in all 27 cases. The Infiltration SuDS Map suggests that 34.5 % of the United Kingdom is suitable or probably suitable for free-draining SuDS, but that the potential for infiltration SuDS at the city-scale varies depending on the ground conditions. For example, 60 % of Bradford was deemed as suitable, or probably suitable for Infiltration SuDS, whereas only 19 % of the area of Leicester was similarly classified.

The potential to retrofit sustainable drainage systems to address combined sewer overflow discharges in the Thames Tideway catchment

AbstractExperience of retrofitting sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in the United Kingdom is limited, and there are no well‐established procedures for evaluating the feasibility, value or cost‐effectiveness of doing this, particularly at the catchment scale. This paper demonstrates a two‐phase process for evaluating the potential to retrofit SuDS to address combined sewer discharges in three subcatchments within the Thames Tideway catchment of London. The first phase evaluates what might be achieved with various levels of disconnection (‘global’ disconnection scenarios) using hydraulic models, while the second phase considers how disconnection might practically be achieved. High levels of disconnection are technically possible but practicably difficult. In selected cases, and with aggressive implementation of SuDS, combined sewer overflow CSO discharges could potentially be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels without the need for any modifications to underground assets. However, retrofit SuDS could not eliminate the requirement for some form of sewer modification in any subcatchments.

A GIS-based methodology for selecting stormwater disconnection opportunities

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a geographic information system (GIS)-based decision support tool that assists the user to select not only areas where (retrofit) sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) could be implemented within a large catchment (>100 ha), but also to allow discrimination between suitable SuDS techniques based on their likely feasibility and effectiveness. The tool is applied to a case study catchment within London, UK, with the aim of increasing receiving water quality by reducing combined sewer overflow (CSO) spill frequency and volume. The key benefit of the tool presented is to allow rapid assessment of the retrofit SuDS potential of large catchments. It is not intended to replace detailed site investigations, but may help to direct attention to sites that have the greatest potential for retrofit SuDS implementation. Preliminary InfoWorks CS modelling of 'global disconnections' within the case study catchment, e.g. the removal of 50% of the total impervious area, showed that CSO spill volume could be reduced by 55 to 78% during a typical year. Using the disconnection hierarchy developed by the authors, the feasibility of retrofit SuDS deployment within the case study catchment is assessed, and the implications discussed.

SuDS—innovation or a tried and tested practice?

There are many obstacles to the implementation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in England and Wales as a viable alternative to conventional pipe systems. However, in Scotland these obstacles have been largely overcome and many SuDS schemes have been successfully implemented over the past decade. This paper will review SuDS in Scotland and compare the structure of the water companies north and south of the border, which is a major factor in implementing SuDS. Also, case study evidence will be used to show how a successful SuDS scheme was implemented in Aztec West, Bristol, over 20 years ago. This paper was awarded the 2004 James Forrest Medal.