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How can you and your community get involved?

Find out how you can help slow the flow and prevent the use of storm overflows.

While our pathfinder projects are being developed by our Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force, everyone can help reduce the amount of storm overflow releases in a number of different ways.

These include installing water butts to capture excess water, avoiding paving over driveways – instead using soakaways to mimic natural water management – and making better use of smart drainage solutions.

Every small action makes a difference. The sustainable, nature-based drainage solutions we put in place now will deliver benefits for future generations, increasing biodiversity, wellbeing, and economic prosperity.


Seven ways to ‘slow the flow’
  • Permeable is the word - Plant grass instead of paving for paths, install flower beds and permeable slabs.
  • Have off road parking? - Allow your driveway to run off into a flower bed or patch of grass rather than a drain.
  • Building an extension? - Check that the water coming off the roof doesn’t connect directly to the sewer, use a drain chain into a flower bed.
  • Collect rainwater or slow it down - by installing slow-drain water butts or planters, find out how you can help slow the flow and prevent the use of storm overflows.
  • Speak up about green spaces - Talk to your local community leaders and groups about local greening projects and sustainable drainage solutions in parks i.e., reduce non-permeable, concrete areas
  • Only flush the 3 Ps (Pee, Poo, Paper) - Wet wipes, nappies, sanitary or other unflushables go in the bin. Collect fats, oils and greases rather than pouring them down the drain.
  • Spot a pollution - Contact us about suspected pollutions so we can act right away.

 

Local authorities
  • Install sustainable drainage solutions. Planters, tree pits, raingardens all reduce the number of hard surfaces in the community, diverting surface water back to the environment.
  • Build awareness and enforce regulations around paved driveways. Driveways over 5m2 require planning permission. Make sure they are permeable or have put in place drainage solutions.
  • Make sure rainwater run-off from extensions is connected to surface drains rather than the sewer
  • Only approve new development that demonstrates surface water is separated from the combined sewer.
  • Make sure green spaces or sustainable drainage solutions are in place to absorb rainwater run-off.
  • Encourage communities to green their gardens increasing biodiversity and tackling rainwater run-off.
  • Encourage the use of water butts or raingarden planters
  • Provide a list of surface water overflows. Explain who owns what.
  • Promote awareness of how to reduce the use of storm overflows.
  • Promote the importance of ony flushing the 3 Ps (poo, pee, paper) to prevent blockages. Wet wipes and fat, oil and grease block drains.
  • Maintain highways gullies to prevent blockages.
  • Partner with us on schemes to improve the use of sustainable drainage solutions in the community.

 

Local businesses
  • Do you have a large surface area on your land such as car park, large roof, playground? Check if your surface water runs into the sewer.
  • Install raingarden planters or disconnect the surface water on site through sustainable drainage measures.

Learn more about what we are doing and how we could work together – email us at [email protected]

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External and regulatory reports