SuDS: standards, guidance and design tools

This course focuses on giving a detailed understanding of surface water drainage planning and design to meet current standards and best practice guidance.

The course takes attendees step by step through the basis and requirements of current criteria and methods for delivering compliant surface water management systems. It provides them with an understanding of the inputs, outputs and parameters required in commonly used tools and models (including the uksuds.com tools) – and how to assess whether the right or sufficient information has been presented with drainage submissions. This one-day course assumes that attendees are already familiar with the concept of SuDS and are aware of the requirements of the non-statutory SuDS standards (Defra, 2015). The focus is on the requirements for developments in England, but Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland requirements are be touched upon where appropriate.

Course content

Hydraulics

• SuDS design criteria relevant to flood risk management
• Greenfield runoff estimation methods, models and tools
• Previously developed runoff estimation methods, models and tools
• Runoff estimates for the proposed development site, models and tools (including climate change and urban creep factors)
• Attenuation storage volume estimation methods, models and tools
• Volume control methods
• Peak flow control methods
• Interception: rules of thumb and calculation methods
• Infiltration design
• Hydraulic considerations for steep sites, flat sites, and sites with high groundwater levels.

Water quality

• Background and evidence relating to groundwater and surface water risks from urban runoff
• Methods available for assessing water quality risks and the suitability of proposed mitigation strategies;
• The variation in requirements of the EA and SEPA
• Simple tools and modelling approaches
• SuDS component design for water quality treatment
• Water quality considerations for contaminated land sites.

The course content is spread over one day with discussion and debate sessions, allowing attendees time to review and critique sample drainage submissions, become familiar with runoff and storage estimation tools, and understand and evaluate the suitability of key scheme characteristics.

Who should attend?

The principal audience for this course is anticipated to be:
• Developers and consultants – to understand what is required of drainage designs to secure LPA approval and the guidance and tools available to support the design process.
• LPA SuDS approval officers – to understand how to evaluate drainage submissions in line with national standards and guidance.

However, it may also be of value to other SuDS practitioners, regulators and other environmental consultants.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the participants will be aware of and understand the key criteria and requirements of current standards, and understand how to design and approve surface water management systems that:

• ensure that the proposed development does not make downstream flood risk worse;
• do not themselves put the proposed development at risk in terms of flooding;
• are functional (i.e. the infiltration, conveyance, storage, flow control and exceedance flow management designs are robust);
• protect groundwater (in line with the requirements of the environmental regulators);
• do not pose a pollution risk to receiving surface water bodies (including those with environmental designations);
• are suitably resilient to future climate change and urban creep risks.

The participants will also:

• understand the different ways of estimating runoff rates from greenfield and developed sites;
• understand the different tools available to help with estimating storage volumes and treatment requirements;
• understand the different tools available to undertake detailed analysis of the drainage system, and how to ensure that robust inputs deliver robust outputs.

Fees

Course leader(s)

Bridget Woods-Ballard

Principal Engineer

View profile

Helen Udale-Clarke

Principal Engineer

View profile

Other tutors:
Helen Udale-Clarke
Helen project managed the delivery of the CIRIA SuDS Manual and 2012 Climate Change Risk Assessment. She is an experienced trainer – and has recently delivered courses on Low Impact Development in China.

Watch a presentation of the course

Testimonials

Lots of information, knowledgeable lecturers, good to have examples to practice and go through after.”

"Answered many of the myths about SuDS extremely well.”

“Really enjoyed the course ... Confirmed lots of different applications. Was worried that one day would not be sufficient, one day was perfect.

2018 delegates