THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE

Sean Keyes, MD of Sutcliffe, outlines the importance of investment into Liverpool’s aging drainage networks

As we saw this August when the city was hit by intense rainfall, the region can certainly be more progressive in its efforts to prevent flooding by vastly improving its flood prevention systems.

The adoption of rainwater attenuation systems will improve rainwater drainage management and reduce flooding, ultimately improving people’s lives in areas that are at risk of flooding such as South Liverpool, along the River Alt such as Huyton and Wirral.

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) have rightly emerged as a vital solution in the fight against flooding and water pollution caused by utility companies discharging untreated wastewater into watercourses.

At Sutcliffe, we specialise in Flood Risk Assessment, helping our clients manage and reduce the risk of flooding of homes and land - and when working on new residential housing sites, we are now constructing enormous underground storage tanks which trap and store rainwater which slowly releases the water into the drainage system, for up to 24 hours, substantially reducing the peak of a large flood. This is a vital contribution to further reduce rainfall into the already overloaded region’s drainage systems, which can lead to highways flooding and pollution. Nevertheless, sustainable urban drainage systems also promote water conservation and boost local ecosystems.

I believe that the existing drainage networks in Liverpool and other major cities are Victorian, and require significant investment. The construction of all new projects using SuDS and other flood preventative measures will ultimately improve people’s lives across the city and will prevent damage to homes and in the most extreme cases, prevent unnecessary deaths.

I have seen first hand what can happen when we experience heavy rainfall. For instance, heavy rainfall results in road gullies being unable to function as designed and this periodically results in flooding of low lying roads or our homes and shops in our region. To achieve long-term success, it’s important not only for utility companies, but also Government policymakers, developers, and engineers to work together to make sustainable urban drainage systems a more integral part of our infrastructure moving forwards.

I’m immensely proud to be a Chartered Civil Engineer within our city and I believe that new alternative designs will improve our drainage network. This is most critical as we have recently experienced, immediately following a storm, our drainage systems are currently not fit for purpose.