30th September 2024
Householders can reduce the peak pressure on storm drains by making use of the SUDs principles.
Eg Gravel and setts rather than solid concrete drive ways, water butts (although these will need emptying before heavy storms), rain gardens and ponds etc.
The RHS explains that “a rain garden is a shallow area of ground or dip which receives run-off from roofs and other hard surfaces. It is planted with plants that can stand waterlogging for up to 48 hours at a time. More drought-tolerant plants are used towards the edges. Storm water fills the depression and then drains. A rill or channel of some kind will connect the roof downpipe to the dip. You can include other linking elements such as a water butt, rain chain, stormwater planter, or pond.” (1)
The Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust has also useful information about creating rain gardens – https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/gardening-for-wetlands/how-to-make-a-rain-garden/
(1) https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-features/rain-gardens
The Green Tau 