26 Jul 2007

Could reeds be the new pipes?

A friend just forwarded this news item re Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems from the BBC yesterday about sewage and drainage - see it here - at last this issue is making the national news. As regular blog readers will know I've been banging on about this since this blog began - see some previous entries re SUDS here.

The BBC diagram gives neat summary of many of the issues we face with the Ruscombe Brook but are also part of the wider reasons why the floods are so bad. Vast quantities of water should soak away into water tables rather than being fed into brooks ands rivers that can't cope in extreme weather - and indeed in not so extreme weather.


Graphic showing some of the factors that contribute to flooding problems
1 Most old drains combine foul and surface water, which in heavy rain overflows into rivers
2 Interceptor sewers can collect this overflow and divert to treatment works before it reaches rivers
3 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems mimic natural drainage, slowing water flow and reducing the amount running off into drains
4 Disposing of unsuitable material into sewers via toilets and sinks can cause waste to back up and overflow
5 Fat traps can intercept some of the offending material from commercial premises
6 Reducing water consumption not only helps the environment but reduces load on the sewerage system
7 Paving over gardens prevents water draining into the ground, adding to pressure on the system caused by rain "run-off"

1 comment:

Resin Drive said...



You have shared a great information about Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems and Driveway Installation.Which are very

informative for us. Thanks