Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are not a new concept, but they are not widespread in the rural environment and could present many opportunities for improving our management of water at source. They are a collection of physical structures used to mimic natural processes. In rural environments, it is an approach for managing the detrimental impact of rainfall on fields where run-off is a major threat to the flora, fauna and chemical status of our surface waters. Rural SuDS are tools that help maintain and manage the provision of good water quality. They provide an important role by intercepting run-off and trapping soil before it leaves the field. Traditional drainage to manage surface water run-off is designed to carry water away quickly, without treatment, and can rapidly transfer pollutants and large volumes of water to streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries. Rural SuDS slow down or prevent the transport of pollutants to watercourses by breaking the delivery pathway between the pollutant source and the receptor. By intercepting run-off and trapping sediment before it leaves the field they help maintain and manage the provision of good water quality by preventing the loss of soil, chemicals, nutrients and faecal organisms. A further benefit is their ability to temporarily capture water and slow down flow. This can reduce localised flooding and provide valuable aquatic habitats in the form of micro-wetlands for farmland wildlife and will encourage the downward movement of water to recharge aquifers. The report provides a list of existing land management options that fit the definition of sustainable drainage and reviews their cost and effectiveness in helping to meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive, to reduce flood risk and adapt to climate change. Options explored in the report include trenches, wetlands, retention ponds and buffers and many of these features can be further enhanced by sediment traps as part of the design.Whilst rural SuDS may be more complex to create compared to a simple buffer strip, this is off-set by a number of additional benefits for the landowner. They can make existing features such as buffer strips, walls and new hedgerows even more effective; they are not demanding on space and by trapping sediment in the field will save a valuable resource. Rural SuDS are one group of measures that can be created with minimum loss of agricultural production. They should be used as part of a systemic approach to managing run-off, lowering flood risk and increasing water adsorption. They are good examples of being able to deliver multiple benefits but need to be planned and targeted as part of future catchment management. The measures identified in this report may offer some of the answers towards tackling diffuse pollution to improve the chemical and ecological status of surface water in the short to medium term; whilst in the longer term, they will enable land managers to adapt to intensive rainfall that is more likely with our changing climate. https://gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291508/scho0612buwh-e-e.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:36:09 +0000
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