CIRIA welcomes Defra review of the implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010)

CIRIA has supported good practice sustainable drainage systems for over 20 years. The first CIRIA sustainable drainage guidance was published in 2001, with updates in 2004, 2007 and 2015 – the current SuDS Manual (C753). An update of the SuDS Manual is being scoped, and this is timely as yesterday (10th January 2023) Defra published its review of the implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) and we are delighted that the recommendation to implement Schedule 3 has been accepted by Government. Whilst there is some work to do on the details, we are looking forward to continuing our support for the implementation of good practice SuDS through our highly regarded guidance documents and CPD training and through our established and vibrant SuDS community susdrain.

Graham Fairhurst CEng, FICE, FCIWEM, Chair of the susdrain Project Steering Group commented: “Along with many other stakeholders, I am very pleased that the government has produced the review for implementation of Schedule 3. SuDS are one of the best means available to us for managing both the flooding impacts of climate change and the water quality impacts we have from traditional urban drainage. At the same time, well-designed SuDS enable us to create better built environments; something that contributes to health and wellbeing. Whilst SuDS techniques are well-understood, the implementation of SuDS as core drainage infrastructure has been hindered by there being no designated means of approving, adopting, and managing them once built. These are the key issues handled by Schedule 3. This review is an excellent start to the new year.”

Louise Walker, CIRIA Senior Research Manager and susdrain lead, said “I am so pleased that we were able to input to this review and I am thrilled that its recommendations have been accepted; this will mean a huge improvement in the way surface water is managed in England.”

Read the full press release.