Sustainable Urban Drainage System
Sustainable Urban Drainage System
Sustainable Urban Drainage System
The idea behind SUDs is to try and replicate natural systems that use cost-
effective solutions with low environmental impact to drain away dirty and
surface water runoff through collection, storage and cleaning before allowing it
to be released slowly back into the environment such as water courses. This is to
counter the effect of conventional drainage system that often lead to flooding,
pollution of the environment- with the resultant harm to wildlife, contamination
of ground water sources that are used to provide drinking water.
Originally the term SUDs was first used to describe the UK approach to
sustainable urban drainage system. The development was not supposed to be
necessarily restricted to the urban level only; hence later the word “urban” was
dropped to avoid further confusion. SuDS are more sustainable than traditional
drainage methods because they:
SUDS are not just traditional soakaways, ponds or wetlands, but are a suite of
components working in different ways that can be used to drain a variety of site
topographies. SUDS components work in several ways: -
An infiltration basin: dry basin or depression designed to promote infiltration of surface water
runoff into the ground. Plants in an infiltration basin should be able to withstand periods of
ponding and dry periods and enhance the pores of the sub soil by deep roots
Vegetated swales or channels used to collect or move water
Canals or rills having a hard edge that are used to transport water to
river network after treating the runoff water.
Permeable surface that allow water to pass through the voids of
the impervious surface material.
SUBMITTED BY: -
HANSANEE MAGO
ROLL NO.: - 16
THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH: - Surface water is conveyed way from our cities
and towns as quickly as possible to primarily manage risks from flooding and
poor sanitation without taking into account the level of pollutants. Water quality
and amenity/biodiversity is given least consideration. The basic aim according
to the traditional approach is to get rid of excess water at any cost.
SUDs TRIANGLE: - This is where sustainable urban drainage system comes into
play giving regard to both the quantity and quality of surface water runoff and
also the concerned biodiversity. The philosophy of SUDs is to replicate as closely
as possible the natural drainage of a site before development. SUDs design
within the opportunities and restraints of a site to deliver the most benefits for
water quality, quantity and amenity/biodiversity, as mentioned above. Where
these objectives overlap, it forms the triangle of SUDs.
THE 4 PILLARS OF SUDs DESIGN: - The overarching principle of SUDs design is that
the surface water runoff should be managed for maximum benefit. The benefits
that can be achieved by SUDs will be influenced by the topography of the site,
the location of the site, the development on and around the site but these can
broadly fit into 4 categories: WATER QUALITY, WATER QUANTITY, AMENITY AND
BIODIVERSITY. They all have their own design objectives. Many existing drainage
system cause flooding, pollution and damage to the environment and hence
are not sustainable. Sustainable drainage systems have long term environmental
and social impact in decisions about the drainage pattern.
WATER
QUANTITY
TRIANGLE
OF SUDs
AMENITY/
WATER
QUALITY BIODIVERSI
TY
The change from conventional piped drainage to SuDS has been driven by a
realization of the shortcomings of traditional methods of collecting and
conveying runoff away from developed land. Just as in nature, water begins a
journey when it enters the SuDS sequence. These elements make up this
sequence or ‘management train’. Starting with a roof and ending with a
wetland, every stage offers potential for people and wildlife benefits.
Here the water is filtered into the soil recharging the ground water level. Overflow, if any, is
then drained out into the piped drainage system.
PAVEMENTS: - Pavements act as an interconnection between the built form and
the natural site system. They are used extensively for vehicular as well as
pedestrian walkaways, parking, outdoor activity zone, or informal zones
integrated into the built form.
The normal practice used while designing a pavement is to exclude water from
the soil in order to provide a stable surface for human activities. This practice,
hence, increases storm water runoff, soil erosion and deteriorates top soil cover
due to loss of soil fertility. Pavements fragment the natural ecosystem of the site
by dividing the entire landscape system and hence retain the heat that
contributes to the heat island effect. This in turn places an increased load on the
HVAC system. If the choice of materials for pavements is incorrect, it can also
cause uncomfortable glare and produce harsh environments. Sometimes,
excess planning for pavements in climatically unsuitable zones may reverse the
concept of human comfort it was originally planned for. Judicious planning
which overrides the chances of under and over use and is compatible with the
climatic conditions as well as the human comfort, always generates into a
sustainable site design. Due to over-exploitation, water levels have been steadily
declining over the past few years. The need to recharge groundwater becomes
an issue of primary importance because of decreasing depth of freshwater
aquifers. In areas with inadequate water resources, pavements act as efficient
surfaces in collecting rain water. They can be effectively utilized to harvest
surface and groundwater.
BIORETENTION AREAS: - These are basically landscaped shallow depressions to
capture and bioremediate polluted run-off from roads and car parks. These
areas can be formally landscaped with colorful shrubs and herbaceous plants
to increase the level of filtration. It is ideal in high density residential housing,
commercial and industrial areas.
Consideration should be given such that runoff from hard surfaces enters the
roadside planters via dropped down curbs.
The bioretention areas shall be under drained by permeable pipes that are
connected to the main drainage system.
CASE STUDY: - Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht
Leidsche Rijn is the largest ongoing housing project in Netherlands located in the
west part of Utrecht. The project was founded in the year 1995 and got
completed in the year 2015 with 30000 housing units accommodating 80000
inhabitants. The area of the site is 2100 hectares of land of which 11% is covered
by surface water. The site is divided into two hydrological parts. The topography
varies with relatively high grounds in the central parts of the area to lower lying
areas along the perimeter. The higher grounds mainly consist of sandy soils
facilitating stormwater infiltration, whereas the surrounding lower grounds are
loamy and thus not suitable for infiltration.
Stormwater is infiltrated in the center; overflow is led to the free water surface
canals, before being retained in the large lake in the northwestern part of the
area. The lake has direct contact to the groundwater, and here the water is
stored, used for recreation and as an ecological habitat. The key feature of this
project is the storm water management which is mainly made as an open
system, visible to the citizens in order to improve the quality of life for the
inhabitants. Stormwater is managed in a closed loop system intended to retain
water in the canals year round, to prevent the occurrence of flooding incidents
and with as little intake of water from the surrounding area as possible. The
reason for this is that stormwater is regarded as a source of non-polluted water,
whereas the water in the neighboring Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the water
from the surrounding agricultural areas are high in phosphorus concentration,
which will lead to algae growth in the system. In order to have sufficient water in
the system during dry periods it is therefore important to keep the stormwater in
the area.
The stormwater collected from roofs and small streets is conducted through a
network of wide infiltration trenches and canals, and ends up in a 40 m deep
lake on the northwestern edge of the site. The trenched located in the dry areas
also contribute to direct infiltration of surface water and replenishes the ground.
In addition to this, many low-traffic roads and yards are equipped with
permeable pavement that lets the stormwater runoff percolate to the subsoils.
This stormwater system was established due to problems in the past, when
Leidsche Rijn was an agricultural district. Normally the groundwater levels in the
region are higher in winter and lower in summer. Agricultural activities require
fairly stable groundwater levels, and therefore a lot of groundwater was drained
out from the area during winter, whereas water had to be supplied externally
from the Amsterdam-Rhine canal during the summers. The water in the canal
was relatively polluted that started harming the vegetation hence a need to
store water from the wet periods arose. Because of the system adopted, the
ground water level is well regulated and allowed to fluctuate a maximum of 30
cm. the lake renders a buffer of about 100 cm in case of floods.
In order to keep the open stormwater system clean and avoid stagnation of
water, the water is continuously being pumped from low to high areas, which
results in constant circulation. Within this closed loop, in the north-western corner
of the district, a so-called vertical flow reed bed is incorporated where
phosphate particles are held back. This filter matrix consists of sand enriched
with limestone and iron oxide and covers an area of about 6 hectares.
PERMEABLE PAVING: - The smaller local roads from which direct infiltration of
runoff is considered as safe practice are covered with permeable pavement.
The roof runoff from adjacent buildings is led through downpipes and spouts
onto the street to either infiltrate or run as surface runoff directly to the nearby
canal or trench. Permeable paving is a very effective practice for infiltration of
surface water used in the low-traffic areas of Leidsche Rijn. Unfortunately this
type of paving is not suitable for high-traffic zones because the tire particles
tend to clog the infiltration pores. If this type of pavement is done close to
gardens then humus particles of the garden soil can cause the same effect. This
could only be prevented by regular cleaning of the pavement by vacuums to
suck out the settled sediments. This technique is cost intensive and not done in
Leidsche Rijn yet. Hence there is less dependence on permeable paving for
infiltration purpose.
In order to maintain the quality of water, proper functioning of the trenches and
the vertical sand bed is monitored on a yearly basis. The stormwater
management in the area of Leidsche Rijn aims to handle the accumulated
stormwater on site. The stormwater is with few exceptions detached from the
sewer system. Besides the technical solutions for infiltration, transpiration and
storage of the water, the stormwater is also used for the design of the
neighborhood. The elements for stormwater management, like trenches and
canals are communicating with the inhabitants and visitors. Even though the
stormwater is not always visible, the elements give a special structure and
arouse associations of water. The elements show the ecological standard and
give an identity to the area.
Rainwater from roofs is transported via downpipes below ground. All hard
surfaces in the inhabited areas are permeable to some extent consisting only of
tiles and stones. The stormwater which is not infiltrated is transported via open
drains in the middle of the roads to the green areas. The area is deliberately
turned into a low traffic area with most parking spaces situated furthest from the
canal system to ensure maximum treatment of this water before discharge.
Provided that the roof and downpipe materials are not zinc, copper or
otherwise pollutant releasing materials and that the inhabitants follow the
environmental guidelines provided by the municipality there seems to be no
incentive for further cleaning of the rain runoff from this particular area.
EVA-LANXMEER, CULEMBORG
The stormwater from the roofs is collected in ponds located within the area.
Much of the precipitation that falls on the roofs is however retained and/or
detained by the many green roofs in 15 the area, which also contribute to
increased evapotranspiration. Stormwater runoff from streets and paved
surfaces is led to trenches where it is allowed to infiltrate. Extra storage capacity
is provided by restored riverbeds to prevent flooding during intense precipitation
events.
Water is supplied to all the houses in this area via 2 major pipelines: Household
pipe and drinking water pipe. Household water is collected rainwater as well as
wastewater from the cleaning process of filters at the local water plant. The
household water was used for toilet flushing and washing machines.
The fact, that the settlement is a pedestrian only area, reduces the pollution of
the stormwater, contributes to a high quality of the collected rain runoff in the
surface ponds and minimizes the need for larger paved areas. Most of the small
pathways connecting the houses are graveled and are frequently used.
With the exception of the lakes providing aesthetic character to the area and
reflecting the buildings, the integration of landscape based urban drainage
principles renders effective infiltration to the surface water runoff.
What is however significant is that over 75% of the rainfall occurs during the 4
months of June to September. Mumbai receives almost all its 2400mm rainfall in
these 4 months and several catchments in Mumbai experience severe flooding,
usually when preceded by high tides in the time of heavy rainfall continuing for
hours. This period of rainfall causes severe disruptions to the transportation
system and paralyzes commercial activities to a great extent.
The DJB, MCD and PWD are jointly responsible for the construction and
maintenance of drains in the city. Storm water drainage in Delhi is a complex
situation owing to the combination of a number of natural and man-made
drainage systems being large drainage basins, storm water drains along the
roadside, a combined sewer-cum-stormwater drain along the roadside
(sometimes as a by-pass arrangement for blocked sewer lines). Most of the
water collected through different drainage systems finally gets discharged into
the river Yamuna directly. The length of the natural drains in the city is 350km
carrying discharge of 1000cum whereas the total length of drains is 1700kms
spreading over 12 municipal zones. Storm water drains carry considerable
quantities of raw and untreated effluents, the drains are ill-maintained leading
to choked drains, and there is lack of coordination between planning and
construction of roads and drains.
The problem has been exacerbated by informal settlements on the banks of the
storm drains. There has been a gradual encroachment on the banks of the
open storm drains and some drains have had their widths reduced to only 20
per cent of their original width. What were once natural drainage channels now
have buildings on their flood plains discharging raw sewage into storm drainage
channels. In a few extreme cases, even multi-story buildings have been built on
the top of the storm drains. The capacity of the drains to carry storm flows has
therefore been reduced. This has resulted in increased incidences of urban
flooding during the monsoons.
MEDIAN ONLY COLLECTS THE RAINWATER THAT FALLS ON ITS SURFACE. RUNOFF FROM
THE ROADS ENTIRE THE SIDE GREENS. OVERFLOW GOES INTO OPEN LAND OR PIPES.
CONVENTIONAL KERB
PROPOSED KERB
FILTRATION: - Filtration can include rock and vegetated swales, filter strips or
buffers and sand filters.
This method prevents sediments and other materials from reaching and
clogging downstream facilities.
Filtration is effective only effect flow is slow and depths are shallow.
In draining soils, the filters also provide an opportunity for stormwater infiltration
which further removes pollutants.
These are especially applicable for parking lots and along highways as they can
be sloped into linear grass or rock swales to collect and treat runoff from
pavement surfaces. Adjacent pavement level should be slightly higher than the
filtration area. Filtration systems are of three types: - Gravel filter, Vegetated filter,
Riparian buffer.
Pollutant reduction is achieved as the water filters through the gravel and sand.
Gravel filters can be used next to road curb or foundation walls adjacent to
property lines (if less than 30” in height) or on slopes.
VEGETATED FILTER: - These are sloping areas used to filter and infiltrate
stormwater runoff. Stormwater enters the filter from an impervious surface. Flow
control is achieved using relatively large surface area and for slopes greater
than 5%, a generous proportion of check dams or berms. Pollutants are
removed through filtration and sedimentation.
RIPARIAN BUFFER: - It is a vegetated strip along the banks of flowing water body
such as a stream. Riparian buffers are a simple, inexpensive way to protect and
improve the water quality through local plan materials. Buffer strips structurally
stabilize banks and shorelines to prevent erosion. Trees and shrubs provide shade
to maintain consistent water temperature necessary for the survival of aquatic
life. Width of the buffer is based on the surrounding context, soil type, size and
slope of catchment area and vegetative cover.