What are SUDS?
The issue of sustainable development is high on the global agenda and SUDS can help towards this movement (Butler and Parkinson, 1997). SUDS, or Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems are a sequence of water management practices and facilities designed to drain surface water in a manner that will provide a more sustainable approach than what has been the conventional practice of routing run-off through a pipe to a watercourse (SEPA,2014). There are a number of practices which can be undertaken in the movement towards more sustainable water systems:
-mitigation of accidents that may result in pollution incidents
-reduction in pollution incidents
-reduction in polluting materials
-Water harvesting
Facilities may also be constructed to help contribute to SUDS which include permeable surfaces, filter strips, swales, detention basins and wetlands for example.
Permeable surfaces
Permeable pavement systems (PPS) are suitable for a wide variety of residential, commercial and industrial applications. They can act as a technology for pollutant control contain surface run-off from areas such as roads or parking spaces where contaminated water may infiltrate into the soil (Scholz and Grabowiecki,2007).
Filter strips
Filter drains or filter trenches can be used beside roads and other impermeable surfaces, but should be avoided at busy road junctions or where rainwater can become heavily contaminated. Filter drains allow the run-off to soak away into the surrounding soil. Filter drains are filled with stones or gravel. This stone fill collects particles and helps to prevent pollutants from entering groundwater (NIEA,2014). Furthermore filter strips are easy to construct as well as having low construction costs (Susdrain, 2012).
Swales
Swales integrate stormwater management into urban structures and creates new structures such as bioretention swales (Lloyd, 2001; Kazemi,Beecham and Gibbs,2011) Bioretention swales harvest stormwater, whilst filtering it through to an engineered soil media. This wastewater can be stored for reuse or discharging downstream (Melbourne Water, 2005; Kazemi,Beecham and Gibbs,2011). Their maintenance can be incorporated into general landscape management and these systems are inexpensive as well (Susdrain, 2012).
Detention basins
Detention basins are surface storage basins or facilities that provide flow control through attenuation of stormwater runoff. They also facilitate some setting of particulate pollutants. They provide the advantages in that it can cater for a wide range of rainfall events and they are simple to design and construct. However there is little reduction in run-off volume (Susdrain,2012).
Wetlands
Wetlands are vegetated water bodies that use methods of sedimentation and filtration to provide treatment of surface water run-off. Furthermore they aid in providing high aesthetic, ecological and amenity benefits therefore potentially adding value to local properties (Susdrain, 2012).
Urban planners should therefore consider the use of SUDS in their development programs as they are able to reduce runoff volumes, enhance water quality, often provide an attractive habitat therefore producing a world in which many people have a better quality of life (Susdrain,2012).
References
Butler, D. and Parkinson,J.,1997. Towards sustainable urban drainage. Water Science and Technology. Vol 35 p53-63.
Kazemi,F., Beecham,S., Gibbs,J.,2011. Streetscape biodiversity and the role of bioretention swales in an Australian urban environment. Landscape and Urban Planning. Vol 101, p139-148.
Lloyd, S., 2001. Water Sensitive Urban Design in the Australian Context, Synthesis of a Conference Held in 30–31 August 2000, Melbourne Australia. Melbourne, Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology.
Melbourne Water, 2005. WSUD engineering procedures: Stormwater. CSIRO Publishing Melbourne.
NIEA,2014.Sustainable Urban Drainage systems. (online) Available at: http://www.netregs.org.uk/library_of_topics/water/sustainable_urban_drain_system/filter_strips_and_filter_drain.aspx. Accessed on 6th July 2014.
Scholz,M.,and Grabowiecki,P., 2007. Review of permeable paving systems. Building and the Environment. Vol 42, p3830-3836.
SEPA, 2014. Sustainable Urban Drainage systems.(online). Available at: http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_regulation/regimes/pollution_control/suds.aspx. Accessed on 6th July 2014.
Susdrain.,2012. SUDS’. (online). Available at: http://www.susdrain.org/delivering-suds/using-suds/suds-components/retention_and_detention/Detention_basins.html. Accessed on 6th July 2014.
