Floods have unfortunately become regular news events in the UK. A combination of increasing development at a local scale and growing intensity of storm events has increased pressure on the existing infrastructure. Although floods and the surcharging of sewage systems represent the greatest risks associated with traditional surface water drainage strategies, they are not the only sources of problems. Excess surface water run-off can wash pollutants into natural watercourses, and the rapid removal of surface water through drains interrupts the normal cycle of infiltration that sustains groundwater supplies. Furthermore, peak river flows during floods cause erosion and deposition of silts and solids in rivers and streams, which can affect river bed morphology and ecology.

With hosepipe bans scheduled for large parts of the UK later this spring, the perception of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), designed to alleviate these problems, may be shifting from leftfield to centre ground.