Today’s growing built environments face multiple challenges of flood risk, heat stress, water shortages and decreasing biodiversity. As our climate changes with rising temperatures, reduced rainfall and more extreme weather events, it is vital that we work together to ensure healthy sustainable environments to live and work in.
See water differently
A blue green approach to circular water management offers an effective way to make our built environments more climate resilient:
- Flood prevention – By increasing our storm water capacity and manage the peaks and lows more intelligently.
- Water reuse – By treating water as the valuable commodity that it is and reusing grey and rainwater
where we can. - Biodiversity – By increasing species richness and building corridors for wildlife in our built environments.
- Reduced heat island effect – By using water and the vegetation to cool our urban environments.
Upcoming Legislation
Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010
Significant changes are coming to the new build market during 2024. Incorporating sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) into most new developments in England will be required by law and new development will no longer have an automatic legal right to connect surface water drainage to nearby sewage infrastructure.
Biodiversity Net Gain
In January 2024, biodiversity net gain (BNG) will become mandatory for developments in England. Developers will need to try and avoid habitat loss and provide a plan to achieve a biodiversity net gain of 10%. Plans will need approval from local planning authorities before starting to build.
At Wavin our solutions are designed to work with blue green
infrastructure for climate resilient circular water management.
Blue Green Roofs
The Wavin PolderRoof transforms flat roofs on existing or new buildings into intelligent and controlled water reservoirs with integrated irrigation function, forming an indispensable foundation for intensive or extensive (including biodiverse) green roofs.
Roof drainage
Wavin’s siphonic roof drainage provides a higher capacity of roof drainage to cope with high rainfall by restricting air in the pipes, preventing a vortex and creating a full bore flow.
Below Ground Attenuation
Wavin’s AquaCell tanks or stormwater crates allow surface water to be stored below ground and gradually released controlling the level of surface water, especially in areas prone to flooding or heavy rains.
Root resistant pipes
Wavins gravity drainage solution, OsmaDrain features RootSeal Technology to protect pipe sockets and seals from root ingress without impacting roots, surrounding soil or wildlife
Read more
- The benefits of sustainable drainage systems go beyond making urban areas rainproof
- Urban climate resilience: better builds and data-driven decision making
- Why circular water management is the next logical step for developers
- A watershed moment: England’s adoption of schedule 3
- How blue green roofs can help developers to achieve biodiversity net gain