NEWS
?
BRITISH WATER AND FLOODS
2007 will be remembered for the graphic television droughts, from a sudden increase in
images of people boating to their homes, sewage use to abuse of the system.”
in high streets and thousands of residents queueing Mike Norton, who chairs the
E
W
for their free bottles of water. The floods during the Flows and Loads Focus Group, said:
summer had a devastating effect on cities and “We know the Environment Agency
smaller communities all over the country. has been concerned about the
Clean water, which, in Britain we have come to number of undersized systems which
N
expect as a right— always available, of high are not able to cope with the
quality and cheap— suddenly became a valuable demands made on them and so
commodity. Our reliance on it for everyday life has contaminate the environment. With
clearly been exposed as has our dependence on hefty fines of £20,000 for a first offence, it is
the safe removal of sewage so that water supplies important to get it right first time, not only from an
and the environment are not contaminated. environmental point of view but also from an
Now questions are being asked. Why didn’t the economic one.”
drains cope? What can be done to prevent future The SUDS document gives a complete table
similar disasters? Are we designing our drainage of systems and their advantages and limitations
systems correctly? Are we planning correctly? Is this so that designers, engineers, surveyors and
the sort of weather global warming will bring? managers can see at a glance which system would
A
T
’
S
British Water, a major trade association, suit each project.
represents 160 supply chain companies in the As part of the research for the SUDS
water and wastewater industries and works to raise document, a group from British Water travelled
H
industry standards. thousands of miles across America to find out
To counter environmental contamination and in what new systems were being installed. They
preparation for one of the consequences of global inspected green roofs, traffic calming plant
warming (intense rainfall), two British Water Technical islands, using landscapes as natural drainage
Focus Groups have worked with regulators, including devices and protecting beaches from
W
the Environment Agency, to produce timely Codes of contamination by installing innovative filters on
Practice. These will help architects, planners, storm water drains. They also saw how
engineers and contractors make the right decisions communities could be “engaged” in improving
when designing sewage treatment systems and their area’s environment by taking responsibility
selecting the best sustainable surface water drainage for verges outside their houses, disconnecting
system to install. The documents will help them to be downspouts to use rainwater and paying
sure the best options are being considered and separately for stormwater drainage as well as for
should help to alleviate or even prevent problems in sewage and water.
the future. Alex Stephenson, chairman of the SUDS
The Packaged Sewage Treatment group said: “This year’s floods have proved
Manufacturers’ Focus Group which produced the without doubt that we need to look more creatively
Flows and Loads sewage treatment systems design at how we deal with our drainage. The recent
guidance, and the Sustainable Drainage Systems flooding is a consequence of land use and
(SUDS) FG, which produced the SUDS Technical planning of which SUDS should always be an
Guidance, consulted widely in compiling the integral part but cannot be the complete answer.
documents. They provide general guidance and Every correctly designed system installed with
comparative information on the criteria that should storage capacity to deal with extreme events
be assessed before any drainage system or sewage would lessen the effects downstream of intense
plants are installed, both documents are supported rain events.”
by the UK environmental regulators. He expressed concern that the recent
They put the needs of the environment at the top floodings are likely to generate knee-jerk reactions
of the agenda whenever any development is being and solutions that will in some cases be
considered and for facilities managers who need to unsustainable and uneconomical and urged that
upgrade an existing system or install a new one, the authorities should deal with the causes of the
documents will prove to be invaluable. problem rather than the effects.
“The effect of drainage on the environment “One of the major barriers to a wider uptake
only becomes of major interest when the systems of SUDS techniques is the responsibility for
don’t work”, said Dr Ian Pallett, Technical Director maintenance,” he added. “Legislation is needed to
of British Water, “We’re beginning to see the make it more straightforward to use SUDS – could
problems that droughts, intense rainfall and other it be time to set up a UK stormwater authority with
extreme weather can cause, and the indications are overall responsibility?”
that it’s going to get worse. The two documents will For home owners and facilities managers
help those who plan systems, upgrade or maintain concerned about the environment, making sure
them, make sure that they get their calculations the correct system is installed as well as being
correct to give them confidence that their systems aware of the latest technologies could help to
will deal with all eventualities...from floods to prevent problems in the future and is a sure way
of being one step ahead of the weather.
10|
SUSTAINABLE FM | OCTOBER 2007
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52