Appendix 1
EXAMPLES HIGHLIGHTING
FRUSTRATIONS WITH
MULTI-AGENCY
FLOOD RISK
MANAGEMENT WORKING
1. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).
These are recognised as an effective way to provide drainage.
They provide water quantity, water quality, and environmental
benefits. However, their uptake has been frustrated by an inability
to agree who should adopt and maintain them ie the issue is institutional,
and not technical.
2. Designing for exceedance in urban drainage.
It is inevitable that as result of extreme rainfall, the capacities
of sewers, covered watercourses and other drainage systems will
be exceeded from time to time. A guide on how to manage these
"exceedance" flows was produced in 2006, by a cross-industry
group. However the implementation of the guide has been patchy
as there is no requirement to follow the guide, and it is only
effective if all delivery agents follow it together. The approaches
are dependent on the use of highways as intermittent flood routes.
Highways engineers have proved difficult to engage.
These examples have both been under consideration
for many years. They illustrate how issues are institutional and
not technical. Had these approaches been implemented more aggressively,
there would have been less damage during the recent floods.
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental
Management
September 2007
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