Government announce funding for flood management

Posted on 11/Feb/2008

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) has announced the allocation of funding for flood management, and the outcomes we expect to see from this funding.

“The floods of 2007 have made us all aware of the need to tackle surface water drainage. A consultation on surface water drainage is being launched today on the recommendations from Sir Michael Pitt’s ‘lessons learned’ report. The proposals include introducing surface water management plans to co-ordinate activity, and clarifying responsibilities for sustainable drainage systems, as well as reviewing the ability of new development to connect surface water automatically to the public sewer.” Hilary Benn

Surface water drainage today

The report highlights that there are currently 80,000 properties in the UK at risk from surface water flooding, causing on average £270 million of damage each year, and that water companies to prevent sewer flooding getting worse could potentially have to spend £1 billion per year.

Future Pressures

With climate change, winter rainfall is expected to increase by as much as 30% in some regions over the next 70 years. Together with the increase in developed land the Foresight Future Flooding resport estimates that the number of properties at significant risk of flooding will rise to 300,000 to 400,000 per year, potentially leading to several billion pounds of economic damage each year.

Water quality

Under natural conditions, a high proportion of the water that falls as rain soaks into the ground and/or is carried away by rivers. But in urban areas, properties and roads alter the natural drainage of water through the catchment, as the area of hard surface increases so does both the rate and amount of rainwater that turns into run-off. In rural areas, soil compaction, for example by overgrazing or inappropriate use of machinery, can also lead to damaging run-off.

Large amounts of surface water run-off cause water quality problems. As water runs over land, it picks up pollutants and transports them into watercourses. Run-off from roads will contain heavy metals and hydrocarbons, run-off from farmland is more likely to contain nutrients and sediment – these can have serious implications for water quality.

Drainage infrastructure

Drainage infrastructure helps to manage surface run-off by conveying rainwater away from properties and other receptors, such as roads. This piped infrastructure, which is primarily below-ground, has only a limited capacity to cope with surface water. Heavy rainfall events generate surface water run-off, causing flooding when the capacity of one or several parts of the drainage system are exceeded.

Sustainable drainage systems

Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) provide an alternative approach to piped systems. Whereas piped systems are characterised by a limited capacity, fast conveyance and no reduction in volume, SUDS mimic natural drainage processes with the characteristics of storage, slow conveyance and some volume reduction. There are a number of techniques that encompass the essential elements of SUDS such as green roof, porous paving and ponds.

Current issues

Arrangements for managing surface water drainage are split between the Environment Agency, local authorities, water companies, and other agencies, with no one organisation having overarching responsibility. As a result, decisions about new drainage or development investments are often taken without a complete understanding of surface water risks and the most effective solutions.

Vision for the future

The ‘future water’ strategy puts forward a suit of policies to encourage more effective and sustainable management of surface water. It proposes using surface water management plan as a tool to improve co-ordination between stakeholders involved in surface water drainage, and promoting sustainable drainage systems by clarifying responsibilities and improving incentives for property owners and developers.

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