New national standards for sustainable drainage should be mandatory for all new developments

The Rivers Trust warmly welcomes the government’s publication of new national standards for sustainable drainage, which are much clearer and easier to use, but is calling for the creation of sustainable drainage systems to be made mandatory for all new developments.

Sustainable drainage systems are a fantastic way to tackle the multiple challenges facing our towns and cities. When implemented to a high standard, SUDS turn our cities into green oases that act as sponges to hold onto water and allow it to gradually replenish our natural underground storage areas. This plays a crucial role in mitigating both flood and drought risk, reducing water pollution, supporting biodiversity, and supporting healthy, happy communities with access to high quality green and blue space that also keep neighbourhoods cool in our changing climate.

Despite this positive news, we have been waiting since 2010 for SUDS to be made mandatory for all new developments, as per the Flood and Water Management Act. It’s great to have new standards but, as the government embarks upon its ambitious plan for growth, these should be applied across the board in new housing or industrial developments, retrofitted in existing ones, and as part of public maintenance work.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive said: “It’s really great to see these new standards published, but we now need to see developers required to implement sustainable drainage systems, as standard, on every new development. We need to build resilience to drought and floods, restore wildlife habitats and reduce the pressure on the sewerage system from surface water and these systems are a fantastic way to do all those things and more.”