Water Sensitive Urban Design in the
UK – a scoping study
www.ciria.org
Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
• I live close to the peak district and the Derbyshire dales
and there are a significant number of dams around this
area, you will have seen this one (Derwent dam) many
times
• So when my children
decided to buy me a
flying lesson for my
birthday…
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
Do you know how much water it takes to make a ton of steel?
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Do you know how much water it takes
to make a person?
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Do you know how much water it takes
to make a person?
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Water
• So, although we all know we need water to survive, very
few of us actually realise how much water we need to
support the lifestyles that we currently follow.
• And when we ignore how important water is, it has a
habit of reminding us!
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The cyclic nature of extreme weather
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UK Water Drivers (some)
•
•
EU Targets
– Floods Directive 2015
– Water Framework Directive 2015
• River Basin Management Plans
– Adaption to climate change white paper
• Blueprint for water
UK Targets
– Water white paper (No)
– Natural Environment white paper
– Welsh Government Water Strategy
– Hydro Nation (Scotland)
– Climate change Act (80% carbon
– reductions by 2050)
– Floods & Water Management Act
– Diffuse pollution strategy
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UK Water Drivers (other)
We already know that we need to move towards sustainable
drainage systems (quicker)
But we also need to reduce our usage (waste) of potable water
Better manage how we handle wastewater
Reduce all forms of pollution, but especially water pollution
And be more efficient in our management of reducing resources
So…
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UK Water Drivers
CIRIA have undertaken a scoping study to examine ‘Water
Sensitive Urban Design in the UK’
The broad objective of the study was to deliver a scoping study
that develops a vision for Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
in the UK, exploring the application of international experience,
guidance, identifying and (where possible) evaluating the
broader benefits. It draws on case studies from other countries
and provides a UK context.
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Concept of WSUD
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Concept of WSUD
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Concept of WSUD
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Concept of WSUD
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Concept of WSUD
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Concept of WSUD
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Apparent degree of WSUD (AUS)
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Apparent degree of WSUD (USA)
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Apparent degree of WSUD (UK)
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Current position
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
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Some Initial findings
• Many parts of the world are starting to move
towards WSUD
– Australia is currently at the forefront
– USA are not as strong on potable water reduction but ahead of
us on pollution
– Many of the existing cost benefit studies are based on theoretical
benefits
– More case studies are welcome
– Methods of cost benefit analysis still being examined
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Key messages for WSUD
•
•
•
•
•
WSUD provides the opportunity to treat water (in all forms) as a valuable
resource, not a nuisance or a problem. We need to celebrate water, not dispose
of it!
WSUD in the UK is about integrating the water cycle (surface/storm water, waste
water, water supply) into developments. It’s not just about SuDS, but SuDS is a
key component.
Integration of organisations and different disciplines is key to WSUD delivery.
Partnerships between different organisations and collaboration between different
disciplines is essential.
By thinking holistically about how water interacts with the built environment, we
can improve our water ecosystems and create fantastic and interesting places to
live and work.
CIRIA’s scoping study has identified the benefits and opportunities of WSUD in a
UK context. No one organisation can implement it on their own and it will require
collaboration from organisations, disciplines and individuals to deliver a radical
change in how water is perceived and managed in the UK.
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Benefits
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Reduces flood risk
Reduces potable water consumption
Reduces pollution in watercourses
Reduces air pollution
Reduces CSO spills
Reduces flow to treatment works
Reduces urban heat island effect (which reduces fatalities
during hot weather)
8. Reduces energy bills
9. Increases land values
10. Increases property values
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Benefits
11. Improves amenity of built area
12. Improves lifestyles (and some evidence that it reduces
depression)
13. 3,4, 5 and 6, aid WFD projects
14. Other partner involvement (dealing with multiple stakeholder
issues, add value)
15. Added value can create additional funding (killing more birds
with one stone)
16. Multiple benefits give ‘more for less’ (government aim)
17. More creative solutions, through bringing disciplines closer
together
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Benefits
18. Aids capacity building requirements identified by Pitt
19. Raises awareness of wider issues (joined up thinking)
20. Raises awareness of people on ground (Improved education)
21. Promotes a better understanding of cause + effect,
especially water stress and flood risk
22. Provides solutions to problems that traditional approaches
cannot solve
23. It may not fix the recession, but it will help and all of the
above together go a long way towards fixing many of the
other problems we have created.
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
•
•
•
•
•
SUDS has multiple benefits
Green Infrastructure has multiple benefits
Sustainable Development has multiple benefits
Water conservation has multiple benefits
Ecosystem services has multiple benefits
• WSUD has all the benefits above and it also
recognizes the energy water food nexus
it may even be the magic bullet the industry has been waiting for.
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK
The outcomes from the study are being released in two
parts:
•Initial release – Engagement document launched at
Ecobuild in London, 5th March
– http://tinyurl.com/wsudengagement
•Main Release – scoping study report. Launched at WSUD
seminar event in Newcastle 18th June
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