Urban drainage in Ireland - embracing sustainable systems

摘要

The current approach to stormwater management in Ireland requires that outflows from new developments are restricted to greenfield values that would have occurred prior to development. This typically involved the use of holding tanks constructed within developments to attenuate stormwater from where it was released at a reduced rate via a control structure to a nearby drainage network or watercourse. Improved drainage policies now require that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are used to meet this objective. This study presents an evaluation of perceived issues that may impede the adoption of new policies. The findings are based on surveys and focus groups of practitioners involved with the planning and design of drainage systems. Although the study indicates that benefits of SuDS are reasonably well understood, their use, for many reasons, has remained less popular. Concerns with ongoing maintenance and long-term responsibility of SuDS remain impediments to the embracing of these systems in drainage strategies.