State of SuDS delivery in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) have become a key tool in the design of water sensitive cities, due to their capacity to store and attenuate surface water, and to treat runoff. SuDS implementation requires a complex alignment of planning frameworks, engineering designs, construction practices, maintenance processes, community buy-in and ownership agreements. To understand this alignment, and build an evidence base on the implementation and management of UK SuDS, a questionnaire was distributed to 50 000 industry professionals by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. The findings suggested that SuDS are beginning to become the norm, although ‘harder’ solutions tend to prevail. Additionally, design and construction remain weakly regulated, and there is a lack of clear legal framework on SuDS ownership and maintenance. Expert practitioners supported the need for a single adoption method, coordinated by the local authority and suggested policy changes to make SuDS obligatory.