Forum Topic

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems - to mitigate/avoid flooding

People need to think about sustainable drainage systems to deal with the likelihood of an increase in flooding.Don't pave more of your garden or car parking area than you need to - if you need to at all - and make sure it is with porous surfacing!Rain will soak into ground that has had compost added to it a lot better than hard ground and it obviously doesn't soak into tarmac and concrete in the way that it does into a garden.Don't ever get anyone to do your driveway if they have not heard of SuDs!https://www.susdrain.org/delivering-suds/using-suds/background/sustainable-drainage.html

Philippa Bond ● 1666d8 Comments

The Council dont just deal with coincil houses. The ones in Battersea were all privately owned at the time the. basements were closed in the 80s/90s.

Andy Pike ● 1665d

This house isn't Council it's over a 100 yrs old. Some have their main drain in front garden others have them in their cellar. It can block from ordinary waste from the house, but it wasn't only us who had this happen.

Barbara Stevens ● 1665d

It should do. There were many properties in the past where the council closed the cellars because if this issue and only allowed re opening after flow restrictions were installed along with expensive tanking.Parts of battersea particularly

Andy Pike ● 1665d

Barbara, I'm surprised your main drain doesnt have a one-way flow flap, have a look at thishttps://thefloodcompany.co.uk/non-return-valve-for-drainage/

Adam Tripp ● 1665d

There are usually a combination of factors.  Such hard rainfall will have taken a lot of moss off roofs and swept it down blocking rainwater gullies as well.  We had to lift the grating and bail some water out of the drain channel with a bucket and throw it onto the garden when the rain was at its heaviest.  We've never had to do that before!And then there are these that narrow if not block the sewers:https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/fatberg-london-sewer-canary-wharf-bungalow-b920432.html

Philippa Bond ● 1665d

I think you will find that it was a high tide when the heavy rain occurred yesterday, meaning the drain water was unable to escape into the Thames. Our cellar flooded because our main drain is in the cellar. All the water that cannot escape backs up from the road into the main drain.

Barbara Stevens ● 1665d

It all helps.  Fewer buildings (increased roof run-off from new buildings, extensions etc), less hardstanding, more trees and shrubs have lots of surfaces to absorb water.  Clear drains prevent local flooding (like the south circ) and the Thames Drain thing should help with volume removal of water.Yesterday was exceptionally heavy rain. But it does happen sometimes.  From the reporting in the press it does seem to be basements where the worst damage has been.Building below the water table is asking for trouble, from flash flooding and river flooding (if low lying land).  I wonder if the value of basement flats / rooms will reflect the issue.  Level patios, raised paths / slopes to the front door can give a route for flash flood running water to get in too.Traditional building has the damp proof course 150mm above any ground to cope with local temporary flooding and heavy rain splashback. 

Alan Sherman ● 1666d

there's definitely merit in this approach but our council can and should make a much bigger effort to clear the countless blocked drains even if it means a small increase in our council tax.

Adam Tripp ● 1666d