Drainage

There is no getting away from the fact that we all need to dispose of our foul and surface water drainage somehow.  Our responsibility is to establish a design to ensure this happens without detriment to flood risk either on our site or elsewhere.

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We use modern design packages to accurately model site drainage ensuring that the design is efficient, robust and in line with current legislation. 

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For foul drainage, this can be via a local water authority such as Anglian Water or Thames Water, via a private drainage system or via sewage treatment systems and into a watercourse.  Irrespective of this, we will determine the best drainage solution for your project whether it be a small residential, large housing development, or industrial estate.

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We are fluent in legislation relating to foul drainage.  We negotiate with the water authority and provide the legal drawings and technical details required to achieve the agreement regarding foul connections and adoption. via a S104 or S106 agreement, which leads to the construction and connection of a public sewer.

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If the system is a private foul drain, then we have experience in the design of septic tanks, cess pits and package treatment plants. This includes establishing a suitable outfall either through infiltration or to a nearby watercourse; we are well versed in the stakeholder engagement required to enable this.

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For surface water drainage, we embrace the opportunity to deliver a sustainable solution in line with environmental best practice.  Increasingly Sustainable Drainage is required and this can take the form of soakaways, swales, wetlands or underground storage. 

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We undertake applications to the Environment Agency to obtain the necessary permits and Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for discharge or works affecting ordinary watercourses. 

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Sustainable Drainage Solutions
Every new construction project has to provide some form of sustainable drainage solution, or at least demonstrate why it cannot in the event that it is not feasible. From a drainage perspective, this means that any rainfall should be treated and disposed of as close to its source in order to be considered as sustainable.

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Sustainable drainage solutions or SuDS take many forms from reuse or infiltration techniques using soakaways or swales, to the use of ponds, wetlands and swales. SuDS provide four key functions; they allow water to enter the water cycle at their natural rate, therefore reducing flood risk whilst also ensuring that water quality is not affected by development.  Alongside this, they help to enhance developments providing improved biodiversity and amenity.

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Our experience enables us to choose the appropriate Sustainable Drainage Solution for the particular site through determining the on-site infiltration rate either through desk top or site testing and then provide advice on how this can be best accommodated within a development.

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As part of any scheme, we produce SuDS management and maintenance plans to support the lifetime operation of the drainage function; essential to ensure the continued good function of the system.