Sustainable Drainage Systems Research Articles

Urban stormwater management for sustainable and resilient measures and practices: a review.

Stormwater drainage in urban areas has become a challenge due to the rapid and random growth of urban areas, removal of vegetation, reduction in the effectiveness of drainage infrastructure, and climate change. Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), Low Impact Development (LID), Best Management Practices (BMP), Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and the Sponge City Programme (SCP) are various aspects for urban stormwater management in a few parts of the world. Urban hydrology plays a vital role in the urban stormwater management system. However, optimal results can only be possible when the combined effect of climate change, land use patterns, reuse, treatment, ecology, and societal aspects are considered. There is a need to provide sustainable and resilient urban drainage systems to manage stormwater more efficiently. The present review has thoroughly discussed various features related to urban stormwater management, highlighted key drivers, identified knowledge gaps in each of the measures and/or practices, recommended future research needs of urban stormwater management to become sustainable and resilient. Integrated modelling approaches considering various key drivers including reuse and real time governance enables stormwater management to be sustainable and resilient in urban environments.

Infiltration capacity in urban areas undergoing frequent snow and freeze–thaw cycles: Implications on sustainable urban drainage systems

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) promote environmental protection and climate resilience. SuDS implementation in cold climates faces concerns of impaired hydrological function due to infiltration-reducing frost. The goal of this research was to assess the seasonal variations in infiltration and how different surface covers prevalent in and near coastal cities respond to frequent rain-on-snow and freeze–thaw cycles. A total of 28 constant head infiltration measurements were conducted over a period of 28 months in Urridaholt in Gardabaer, Iceland (64° 4′18.46″ N, 21° 54′37.11″ W) in a grass swale, lupine, and barren terrains. All test locations exhibited infiltration-inhibiting frost in winter, whose severity increased with frequent snow and freeze–thaw cycles. The grass swale resisted structural deformations resulting from frost, which was attributed to the high near-surface porosity within the intertwined root layer and the high drainage capacity of the underlying soil. The sparsely vegetated lupine and the barren area experienced severe frost heaving and cracking, and soil structural collapse which led to bypass flow upon thawing. The non-vegetated site had 30 to 50 times lower infiltration during winter (19 mm h−1) compared to the grass swale and lupine field (630- and 890-mm h−1, respectively), and twenty times lower during summer and fall (45 mm h−1 vs. ∼ 1000 mm h−1). The study concludes that frequent warming and cooling renders soils particularly vulnerable to frost. Vegetation plays an instrumental role in maintaining the hydrological functions of SuDS in winter. Therefore, the greening of urban centers is an important step towards climate resiliency. Plant selection and SuDS design criteria need to account for cold climate hydrological performance. In that regard, plants that limit sunlight and fully shed their vegetation in winter, such as the invasive lupine, can potentially contribute to frost formation and increase runoff generation.

Valuing ecosystem services of sustainable urban drainage systems: A discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences and willingness to pay

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) address stormwater management issues and provide a variety of benefits to residents in terms of ecosystem services. Economically valuing the non-monetary ecosystem services often proves difficult, as limited markets for SUDS measures exist, rendering revealed preference methods inapplicable. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit the preferences and willingness to pay of the ecosystem services of SUDS in Berlin, Germany. Results from a latent class model indicated how residents weigh the different ecosystem services and that they garner the highest utility in improved water quality from reduced fish die-offs. With these results, practitioners and policy makers can better prioritize measures and make strong economic arguments for SUDS implementation and increasing the provision of ecosystem services.

Evaluasi Sistem Drainase Di Kecamatan Rawalumbu Kota Bekasi

Rawalumbu District has 8 locations of puddle around the area, i.e. Sepanjang Jaya RW 4, Cut Meutia Street, Bumi Bekasi Baru Utara, Pondok Hijau Permai, Pondok Hijau Permai 2, Narogong Jembatan 0 Housing Area, Rawalumbu Housing Area, and across of Trisakti University. There is some reasons why this puddle happened, such as shallow happened in drainage channels, some area doesn’t have drainage channels, wastes stuck in drainage channels, and elevation of some streets lower than drainage channels. The purpose of this research is for evaluates the problem that occur in drainage channels that spread around Rawalumbu District, so puddle doesn’t happen again. This thesis method uses quantitative analysis, when analyzing the existing problems. According to the evaluation result, there is 2.206 channels that overflow and 91 channels that working normally. There is some methods to reduce puddle such as: changing channels that had problems and digging some clay in drainage channels. Sustainable drainage system in this research is planned for controlling the puddle with the help of infiltration wells, there is 34.587 infiltration wells that planned in this research.

Copper and Zinc as Roofing Materials—A Review on the Occurrence and Mitigation Measures of Runoff Pollution

Stormwater runoff from metal roofs has been a significant subject of discussion, especially when it comes to its treatment and the target concentrations that need to be achieved prior to discharge into the aquatic environment. To raise further awareness on this issue, occurrence, characterization, and also mitigation measures for metal roof runoff were analyzed using the example of copper and zinc roofs. These stormwater runoffs were found to contain metals in significant concentrations, mainly due to the wash-off of corrosion products by precipitation. Factors influencing metal corrosion and runoff concentrations were compiled. As Cu and Zn mainly occur in dissolved and thus bioavailable forms in roof runoff, harmful effects on the environment were detected. Therefore, adequate treatment of the runoff before discharge to groundwater or surface water is necessary to protect the aquatic environment. Vegetated infiltration swales as an sustainable urban drainage system enable a reduction in pollution loads. However, especially in densely built-up urban areas, stormwater quality improvement devices (SQIDs) offer an attractive alternative for pre-treating metal roof runoff, as they are mostly located underground. There is not yet a uniform legal approval system for SQIDs in Germany, but the German state of Bavaria has approved four types of SQIDs according to its own developed test criteria.

Low-Impact Development (LID) in Coastal Watersheds: Infiltration Swale Pollutant Transfer in Transitional Tropical/Subtropical Climates

The control of runoff pollution is one of the advantages of low-impact development (LID) or sustainable drainage systems (SUDs), such as infiltration swales. Coastal areas may have characteristics that make the implementation of drainage systems difficult, such as sandy soils, shallow aquifers and flat terrains. The presence of contaminants was investigated through sampling and analysis of runoff, soil, and groundwater from a coastal region served by an infiltration swale located in southern Brazil. The swale proved to be very efficient in controlling the site’s urban drainage volumes even under intense tropical rainfall. Contaminants of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn and Ni were identified at concentrations above the Brazilian regulatory limit (BRL) in both runoff and groundwater. Soil concentrations were low and within the regulatory limits, except for Cd. The soil was predominantly sandy, with neutral pH and low ionic exchange capacity, characteristic of coastal regions and not very suitable for contaminant retention. Thus, this kind of structure requires improvements for its use in similar environments, such as the use of adsorbents in soil swale to increase its retention capacity.

Lifecycle sustainability assessment for the comparison of traditional and sustainable drainage systems

Urban drainage is a topic of increasing interest due to its key role for managing water-related disasters, which are being exacerbated by the effects of Climate Change and urbanization. Since traditional drainage systems struggle to deal with the combined action of these phenomena, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are gaining attention as an alternative to help manage these high-water management demands. In this context, this research aimed at conducting a lifecycle sustainability assessment for comparing the economic, environmental and social performance of both drainage systems. The three dimensions of sustainable development were addressed with the support of the concepts of Net Present Value (NPV), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and a combination of the Leopold matrix and a semi structured interview, respectively. The results of applying this approach to the case study of the Rancho Bellavista housing development (Querétaro, Mexico) showed that SuDS outperformed traditional drainage systems in environmental and social terms; however, their high maintenance costs and shorter life expectancy hindered its economic feasibility. As such, future urban plans should focus on complementary designs whereby the strengths of both drainage alternatives are combined to boost their contributions to achieving sustainable development.

Adaptation Strategies for Flooding Risk from Rainfall Events in Southeast Spain: Case Studies from the Bajo Segura, Alicante

The management of runoff during torrential rainfall events is a significant problem in urban areas of southeast Spain. The increase in soil sealing and the occupation of areas prone to flooding have aggravated this problem. Due to this situation, municipal administrations, in collaboration with the concession holder for the supply of water and sewage services, Hidraqua Gestión Integral de Aguas de Levante SA, are committed a more efficient management of non-conventional water resources. An example of this can be found in the municipalities of Rojales, Daya Nueva, and San Fulgencio. These towns are located in the Bajo Segura region of the province of Alicante, where various initiatives have been implemented that break away from the traditional paradigm of rigid infrastructures. These initiatives include green spaces or areas, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) or nature-based solutions (NBS). This article presents various case studies. Firstly, in the town of Rojales, where several actions are being undertaken to improve the management of wastewater and rainwater and provide a solution to unauthorised dumping, as well as encouraging the use of reclaimed water with the creation of a recreational green area, El Recorral Park. Secondly, in the case of Daya Nueva, the Europa Park constitutes a recreational green area, Europa Park, facilitates runoff drainage by SUDS and NBS. Finally, the creation of a floodable pond in the municipality of San Fulgencio encourages the use of wastewater, thus avoiding the discharge of this non-conventional water resource into the sea. In addition, the pond facilitates the appropriate management of runoff water. The working method in this article has been twofold: firstly, bibliographical references have been consulted from other national and international areas; and secondly, the technical projects in the case studies have been analysed in detail. Several field trips have been made to the selected municipalities, accompanied by the technical personnel in charge of the execution of the projects, to examine the measures adopted. The results show that the implementation of these systems contributes to adapting to climate change and creates more resilient urban spaces.

Assessing the role of SuDS in resilience enhancement of urban drainage system: A case study of Gurugram City, India

The increasing frequency of urban floods worldwide due to rapid urbanization, frequent climatic extremes, or poor drainage conditions necessitates evaluating the performance of the urban drainage systems (UDS) and enhancing their resilience. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of the UDS of Gurugram City, India, through the concepts of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) is presented. A stormwater management model (SWMM) was set up to model the existing UDS response to a design storm of a 5-year return period. The increase in percentage imperviousness (due to urbanization) and rainfall intensity (due to climate change) are considered the governing factors for functional failures. The results revealed climate change to be a more severe threat to UDS than urbanization, while their combinations can further worsen the repercussions. The structural failure was modelled using the single link-failure scenarios, where 3 and 12 conduits possessed low resilience and no resilience (severe), respectively. The role of SuDS in enhancing the resilience of UDS was assessed by simulating all these functional and structural failure scenarios for three SuDS-implemented conditions, i.e., only infiltration trenches (SuDSIT), only retention ponds (SuDSRP), and both of them together (SuDSIT+RP). The SuDS abated the flood magnitudes, delayed the time to peak flow, and stored an additional volume of water within the catchment, thereby justifying their efficacy to mitigate the pluvial flood and enhance the resilience of UDS. The findings of this study encourage implementing SuDS over the developing countries to bring down the frequency of urban floods.

Innovative Ceramic Floor for Resilient Cities

LIFE CERSUDS is a project carried out over the period 2016-2019 whom the main objective was to improve the ability of cities to adapt to climate change by promoting the use of green infrastructures in the renewal of urban environments. Under the project, an innovative permeable urban pavement (hereinafter, CERSUDS) was designed using ceramic tile stock of low commercial value. This pavement solution was tested in a demonstrator in the town of Benicí ssim.
 The main objective of the project was to improve the ability of cities to adapt to climate change by promoting the use of green infrastructures in the renewal of urban environments. Under the project, a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) was built as a demonstrator in the town of Benicí ssim, using ceramic tile stock of low commercial value to manufacture an innovative permeable floor (hereinafter, CERSUDS flooring), a subject already dealt with in an earlier presentation at this congress .
 Once the demonstrator had been built, a monitoring period was run between August 2018 and July 2019, which enabled both the CERSUDS floor and the demonstrator's value as a rainwater management system to be validated.
 This article presents the design process of the ceramic permeable pavement including the main results of the tests carried in the laboratory and the main results of the project relate to: environmental and economic assessment of the CERSUDS system, user's validation of the system, monitoring of the system's mechanical performance and permeability, and monitoring of the demonstrator's hydraulic response in terms of the quantity and quality of run-off water.

Urban Flood Risk and Economic Viability Analyses of a Smart Sustainable Drainage System

Urban drainage systems are in transition from functioning simply as a transport system to becoming an important element of urban flood protection measures providing considerable influence on urban infrastructure sustainability. Rapid urbanization combined with the implications of climate change is one of the major emerging challenges. The increased concerns with water security and the ageing of existing drainage infrastructure are new challenges in improving urban water management. This study carried out in the Seixal area in Portugal examines flood risk analyses and mitigation techniques performed by computational modelling using MIKE SHE from the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI). Several scenarios were compared regarding flood risk and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) efficiency. To obtain a more accurate analysis, the economic viability of each technique was analyzed as well through (i) life cost analysis and (ii) taking into account the damages caused by a certain type of flood. The results present that the best scenario is the one that will minimize the effects of great urbanization and consequently the flood risk, which combines two different measures: permeable pavement and detention basin. This alternative allows us to fully explore the mitigation capacity of each viable technique, demonstrating a very important improvement in the flood mitigation system in Seixal.

The impact of creek formation and land drainage runoff on sediment cycling in estuarine systems

Field investigation and empirical analysis were used to assess the impact of tidal creeks and tidal flap gates (through which land surface runoff drains into estuaries) on sediment transport in the receiving waters downstream of the creeks and propose a semi-empirical model to assess the impact of water level rise and increased runoff flow, as may be expected under many climate change scenarios.Results show that there is increased suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at low tide within the deeper channel downstream of the tidal flap gate. This is due to the high SSC that is ejected by the creek because of land drainage runoff with SSC in the creek ranging from 47 mg/l to 300 mg/l at spring ebb tide and that in the deeper channel ranging from 22 mg/l to 104 mg/l. This effect was more pronounced at spring tides when the water level in the deeper channel was low. Substantial sediment is supplied by the creek on a spring low tide than a neap low tide due to higher exposure period of intertidal flats for spring low tides. The combination of creeks and tidal flap gates has the highest impact on SSC in the deeper channel at low tide and high surface runoff flow.It is recommended that moving forward on developments around coastal areas, management authorities create more effective and sustainable drainage systems with less impact on estuarine environments to protect aquatic life and promote habitat creation for a sustainable future. Such systems whereby there are numerous drainage flaps surrounding estuaries especially in intertidal flat areas should be transformed into systems with fewer secondary effects on estuarine environments.

Some aspects of sustainable urban planning using environmental solutions

The ecological aspect of urbanization is reflected in the fact that cities are increasingly concentrating all types of environmental pollution, which become serious problems of the deteriorating of people living conditions. In the Future megalopolises more than 70% of the population will live in the next few decades according to the UN report. It is necessary to make all conditions for the ideas implementation of comfortable and safe cities. Research and innovation of ecological solutions for eco-cities includes four directions. The article discusses one of them, it is the Enhancing the sustainable urbanization, its classification, which include the sustainable Urban Planning with the Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) approach. The article provides functions and advantages of SuDS systems. Particular attention is paid to the zones of forgotten urban spaces. These zones can improve business and residential areas, as multi-functional design with nature can create new dynamic spaces that increase property values, thereby attracting investors, improving citizens’ well-being. The article provides some examples of draft designs for the improvement of the coastal zones of the Yeltsovka-2 River, located in the area of Zaeltsovsky Park.

Permeable Pavement Hydraulic Conductivity Indices for Rainfall-Runoff and Particulate Matter Loadings

AbstractPermeable pavement (PP) can be a primary source-area component of a sustainable drainage system. PP facilitates runoff reduction and particulate matter (PM) separation. PM separated by the ...

Modeling and interpreting hydrological responses of sustainable urban drainage systems with explainable machine learning methods

Abstract. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) are decentralized stormwater management practices that mimic natural drainage processes. The hydrological processes of SuDS are often modeled using process-based models. However, it can require considerable effort to set up these models. This study thus proposes a machine learning (ML) method to directly learn the statistical correlations between the hydrological responses of SuDS and the forcing variables at sub-hourly timescales from observation data. The proposed methods are applied to two SuDS catchments with different sizes, SuDS practice types, and data availabilities in the USA for discharge prediction. The resulting models have high prediction accuracies (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, NSE, >0.70). ML explanation methods are then employed to derive the basis of each ML prediction, based on which the hydrological processes being modeled are then inferred. The physical realism of the inferred hydrological processes is then compared to that would be expected based on the domain-specific knowledge of the system being modeled. The inferred processes of some models, however, are found to be physically implausible. For instance, negative contributions of rainfall to runoff have been identified in some models. This study further empirically shows that an ML model's ability to provide accurate predictions can be uncorrelated with its ability to offer plausible explanations to the physical processes being modeled. Finally, this study provides a high-level overview of the practices of inferring physical processes from the ML modeling results and shows both conceptually and empirically that large uncertainty exists in every step of the inference processes. In summary, this study shows that ML methods are a useful tool for predicting the hydrological responses of SuDS catchments, and the hydrological processes inferred from modeling results should be interpreted cautiously due to the existence of large uncertainty in the inference processes.

Are sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) effective at retaining dissolved trace elements?

ABSTRACT Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are increasingly deployed to mitigate against increased trace element contaminant loads associated with urban and road runoff. However, there is a lack of research on their capabilities in removing these trace elements, particularly from the dissolved phase. Water samples were taken, following various rainfall events, from three different SuDS in Devon; one wetland pond adjacent to a busy dual carriageway, a new SuDS serving a housing estate and an established SuDS draining a mixed housing/light industrial area. A total of 15 elements were studied over the course of six rain events including the first flush of runoff. Removal rates varied within and between rain events as well as between types of SuDS. Although there was a general (modest) removal of dissolved elements within any given SuDS, this was not the case for all of the elements studied. Highest observed element concentrations entering the SuDS occurred at the onset of a rain event (first flush), the intensity of which, was related to the antecedent dry period. During high flows associated with intense rainfall, the SuDS could also act as a source of trace elements associated with fine particulates (e.g. lead) owing to resuspension of fine particulate material. Mature ponds with an abundance of macrophytes help retain solids and particulate metals, however poor maintenance leading to successional growth of shrubs and trees, reduces the efficiency of metal removal. This study highlighted the importance of long-term management planning to be included within any SuDs scheme.

Measures to Prevent Surface Leaks in a Periurban Area Using Responsible Environmental Approaches

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat for Romania and for the whole world. Restoring nature will be a central element of the EU's recovery plan from the coronavirus pandemic, providing immediate investment opportunities to revive the European economy. Both urban and industrial developments are changing landscapes from vegetated permeable surfaces to a series of interconnected impermeable surfaces, resulting in large amounts of rainwater runoff, which requires management. Rainwater runoff is treated by the authorities as a liability and a nuisance that endangers human health and property. Starting from this aspect, over time, systems for collecting and transporting rainwater directly to watercourses have been designed, but without considering the conservation of ecosystems. Rainwater runoff is a source of pollutants washed off hard or compacted surfaces during rain events. These pollutants can be pesticides, herbicides, hydrocarbons, traces of metals but also organic compounds. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), Low Impact Development (LID), Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) are spatial planning and technical design approaches that integrate the urban water cycle, including stormwater management, groundwater and wastewater and water supply, in urban design to minimize environmental degradation and improve aesthetic and recreational attraction. The article presents possible solutions applicable to a locality in the west of Romania that is facing the drainage of meteoric waters. This locality was one of the most affected by the recent floods, with over 6,700 ha of almost destroyed crops, 300 flooded houses, 70% of compromised gardens, the most affected being the new residential neighbourhoods. Timiş County is one of the Romania counties with the largest network of hydrotechnical arrangements (about 480,000 ha on which hydro-amelioration works are executed and over 11,500 km of drainage, irrigation, and soil erosion control channels), it risks becoming a swamp again due to the indifference or ignorance of some of the decision - makers, the lack of appropriate legislation, the non - application of the existing one and the low underfunding after 1990.

Enhancing the Visibility of SuDS in Strategic Planning Using Preliminary Regional Opportunity Screening

Surface water flooding poses significant threats to communities and environments. This threat has historically been managed through sewers and combined sewer overflows; however, it is now well recognised that, alone, these legacy systems are insufficient to manage the growing pressures from climate change, population growth and urbanisation. This realisation has led to research and practice developing a broad range of new technologies to enhance the coping capacities of existing sewer systems through capturing and attenuating or reusing surface water across catchments using sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). However, despite technical understanding, industry champions and significant best practice, SuDS remain underutilised, particularly at a synergistic catchment scale where they can be most effective. In this paper we respond to this challenge by developing preliminary screening tools to enhance the visibility of SuDS among the multidisciplinary decision-makers responsible for directing strategic surface water management. We achieve this through upscaling a regional decision support model and demonstrating implementation across a case study in South West England. We find that it is possible to use easily accessible and open-source data to provide initial indications of SuDS opportunities and that this early visibility in the decision-making process can be used to support the consideration of novel and effective surface water management strategies.

Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable drainage systems considering ecosystems services benefits: case study of canal do mangue watershed in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil

Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable drainage systems considering ecosystems services benefits: case study of canal do mangue watershed in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil

Containing a sustainable urbanized environment through SuDS devices in management trains

Generating an effective and efficient sustainable drainage philosophy is imperative in alleviating the risk of flooding in a complex UK climate that is categorised by excessive rainfall. The Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) approach offers a revolutionary change in using heightened flow rates and large capacities of water to our advantage, while also disguising the attenuated water into the urbanized environment. This research explores the result of integrating several SuDS devices in management trains with the sole purpose of significantly reducing overall water quantity. It will compare and contrast and prove how SuDS is more dependable than the conventional pipe-based drainage system that is characterized by its ability to remove water to the outflow quickly. Furthermore, in order to determine how a SuDS device is implemented into the natural environment, a case study was conducted at a residential area in Gibside View, Winlaton in Gateshead. The research exhibits how the newly implemented Detention basin had to be retrofitted into the already inadequate drainage system that once lived there; all in thought of alleviating the significant flooding events that were once reported to have occurred prior. As a verification method in terms of effectiveness, a questionnaire was conducted through convenient and purposive sampling at the Case Study location; data was accumulated door-to-door inside a 300 m radius of the detention basin and received about 180 valid responses. The results showed persistence of respondents who detailed flooding events prior to installing the Detention basin, who then recognised a fundamental change in the minimization of water quantity and flooding issues. The results of this research showed why Detention Basins continue to be identified as one of the most successful water reduction-based SuDS devices available for development nationwide implementation.