SuDS are all about minimising the effect of the built environment on the natural water cycle, and the fundamental purpose of a SuDS solution is to enable a developed site to handle rainfall and surface water runoff as if it were still a greenfield site.

To achieve this, SuDS are designed to mimic natural drainage by managing surface water runoff as close to the source and the surface as possible, rather than overwhelming stormwater drains and risking flooding.

It’s safe to assume that whilst you’ll be looking to achieve a balance of natural SuDs such as swales and ponds, there will also still be a strong place in the mix for engineered SuDs such as attenuation tanks. These engineered SuDs are easier to monitor, install and keep the costs lower for developers.

Engineered SuDS, such as permeable paving or geocellular attenuation and soakaway tanks, are proven solutions that are easy to fit and give great value for money. They can store a large volume of water in a relatively small space, and it’s possible to predictably design capacity and flow rates, meaning engineers can easily and effectively model situations for different sites.

They also don’t divert as much land from housing, allowing a higher density of building than is typically possible with landscaped SuDS. Plus, engineered SuDS are repeatable, with proven capabilities that reassure planners about how the site will cope with water runoff.

From now on, every site will need a carefully thought-out SuDS approach that balances the benefits and limitations of both engineered and landscaped solutions.

Delivering SuDS will become collaborative, bringing together engineers, landscape architects, business planners and site managers to consider the options and maximise the benefits for each site. Topography and the size of a site, as well as the infiltration potential of the underlying geology, will all come into play and creative SuDS solutions should be utilised where more straightforward options aren’t appropriate.

SMART THINKING AND CREATIVITY NEEDED

Martin Lambley, Urban Climate Resilience Global Product Manager at Wavin explains: “SuDS today are about smart thinking, incorporating landscaped schemes on site areas that are less suitable for building and backing them up with highly reliable engineered systems – usually geocellular attenuation tanks. This powerful combination optimises resilience against climate change and extreme weather events, while at the same time creating an environment that’s good for people, good for nature and can command a high sale price.

A little creativity at the design stage can go a long way, for example, where space is tight, why not explore how you can get dual use out of a plot? Attenuation tanks under a playground, for example, deliver a valuable placemaking benefit, while also managing surface water run-off.”

HOW WAVIN SOLUTIONS UNDERPIN THIS NEW SUDS APPROACH

Wavin’s role in this new SuDS era is to deliver the ultra-reliable, cost-effective geocellular attenuation tanks that will continue to be at the frontline of water runoff management.

Geocellular construction is the leading form of building attenuation tanks because they’re modular (with a honeycomb structure) and so can fit into small spaces, offering flexibility over length, width and depth. They’re extremely space efficient, with a typical surface water holding capacity of 95% or above, and strong enough to sit relatively close to ground level. There’s also a wide range of choice to suit traffic-bearing and non-traffic-bearing areas. And they’ve been specifically designed to be quick and easy to install.

The Wavin range also features hand grips to make them easy to carry, as well as integrated, push-fit connectors that click into place without pegs, clips or tools in half the time it takes to install comparable units.

GET READY FOR SCHEDULE 3 TODAY

Talk to your nearest Keyline branch today about attenuation solutions and to access expert technical advice on the installation of Wavin’s attenuation range which includes the new Aqua Cell NG which is three times faster to install than previous generations of attenuation tanks as well as being much easier to store and transport.

Wavin StormForce is also available through Keyline. Find out more today about Wavin’s complete attenuation solution through your Keyline branch team. Click here to find your nearest Keyline branch.