Water Resilient Cites & Schools

SUDS - Potential for Building Resilience and Managing Surface Water Charges

You’re invited to come and meet with the Environment Agency, Businesses in the Community, United Utilities, and other partners who have been working together to explore potential for a new school-led approach to surface water management.

In 2016 this project developed a tool for schools to assess their potential to reduce surface-water charges by installation of Sustainable Drainage (SUDS) measures. It also identified a high potential for savings and benefits at a programme-scale across Greater Manchester.

What has the 2017 project done?

• Consulted with a range of schools to explore their current financial context, understanding of SUDS and decisions on invest-to-save financing options.
• Identified a range of Greater Manchester schools that have the potential to act as pilot/demonstrator sites.
• Explored new scenarios and created a better understanding of the multiple benefits that SUDS can bring for stakeholders across the community, and the environment.
• Engaged with businesses and health sector to investigate the potential to apply the model to other public sector and business estates.
• Reassessed the 2016 ready reckoner which schools can use to make a site-based assessment of whether, and how, a school can cost-effectively reduce their surface water charges, by implementing SUDS measures.
• Developed recommendations for a future strategic programme of interventions.

What will this meeting be about?

The project team will present findings and resources from the project including:

• The Issue at Hand – surface water charging, SUDS and water management in schools
• School Case Studies: how school sites across the UK have adapted to meet the challenges of water management, and benefit the wider community.
• Maximising Benefits – how SUDS can benefit multiple local stakeholders in Greater Manchester, financially and otherwise.
• Moving Forward in Greater Manchester - the scope for a pilot programme of SUDS development in schools and business sites across Greater Manchester