This article compares in detail the Welsh and English SuDS Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems. Note this review is based on information available in March 2026. SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) are implemented to manage the surface water runoff from a site in a sustainable way that mimics the natural drainage processes. While both Wales and […]
Water scarcity is no longer a future risk it is a present reality and one of the UK’s top five climate threats. As an industry leader in rainwater reuse, we see first-hand how rapidly the regulatory, commercial and environmental landscape is changing. Water reuse is moving from a specialist solution to a mainstream requirement. That […]
Stormwater management involves managing both the quantity and quality of surface runoff. An appreciation of a site’s Particle Size Distribution (PSD) is crucial for effective stormwater quality management. The PSD influences sediment transport, settling rates and determines the effectiveness of treatment systems in terms of capturing, retaining and so permanently removing contaminants found in stormwater […]
As new housing estates are developed, large areas of land are converted into impermeable materials, including roads, roofs and driveways. With the growing population in the UK, the demand for housing increases, contributing to greater urbanisation. The proportion of impermeable surfaces present in urban areas has increased from 37% in 2001 to 46% in 2022 […]
The case for rainwater reuse received a powerful double endorsement during Water Reuse Week with coordinated events taking place in both Westminster and the Senedd. In London, members of the UK Rainwater Management Association (UKRWA) convened at the Houses of Parliament for a high-level meeting with Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East, who is spearheading […]
The new SuDS standards in England were published by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on the 19th of June 2025. They are a welcome step in improving the management of surface water drainage and the pollution from water run-off in England. These non-statutory standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are for […]
What is Nutrient Neutrality? Pollution caused by too many nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, in our rivers and estuaries is a big problem for some locations. The nutrients of concern arise from fertilisers, untreated or partially treated sewage and water running off developments (to name a few sources). Natural England therefore has created the “National […]
How smart rainwater harvesting (with a water butt or large above-ground water tank) can play its part to slow the flow of stormwater and help prevent floods and in particular overflow from sewers. Floods are again making the news in the UK as Storm Ciara brought heavy rainfall to parts of the north and west […]
Anyone who trains regularly on an artificial turf field or 3G sports pitch (or indeed has a son or daughter who does) will recognise the black ant-sized speckles of plastic that follow the player from the field to the car and then into home. The pesky microplastics from artifical turf are notorious for getting flicked […]
Chapter 26, the 2015 SuDS Manual (CIRIA publication C753, Ref 1) presents the Simple Index Approach (SIA) and Mitigation Indices for discharges to surface and groundwater (Tables 26.3 and 26.4). This useful Guidance provides for the adoption of SuDS Proprietary Treatment Devices (PTD), especially DiBT certified devices (Ref 2). Green Infrastructure SuDS components are rightly […]
