The legislation driving the developing need for SUDS stems from the severe flooding events seen in 2007 where approximately 66% of the flooding came as a result of the existing drainage network being overwhelmed rather than as a result of rivers breaking their banks.
The first item of legislation came in 2008 with the revision to the domestic Planning Regulations in England which made it mandatory to incorporate a SUDS scheme whenever you replace an existing domestic driveway.
The position within the domestic sector was further strengthened in 2010 when the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) became mandatory for all new domestic buildings. Within the CfSH Surface Water Management is a mandatory section which ensures that SUDS are always considered within a new development.
This position is mirrored within the commercial sector where Surface Water Management has been incorporated within the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) – which although still optional is an increasingly popular design document.
Finally in 2010 came the Flood and Water Management Act which fed many of the lessons learned from the 2007 flooding into new legislation. This will form the basis for future flood prevention and create management trains which will enable the authorities at both a regional and a national level to monitor and control risk.
It is intended that this legislative framework will help to prevent future flooding events which is deemed essential given the current trend towards global warming where severe rainfall events are seen as becoming increasingly likely.
For full information on governmental legislation, click here