Urban Drainage Flashcards
What are urban areas covered in?
Impermeable materials
Why are urban areas covered in impermeable materials?
Infiltration is low so replenishment of groundwater stores is slow.
What is catchment management?
A way of managing rivers and improving drainage systems by looking at the whole river catchment
What does catchment management aim to do?
Aim to minimise issues such as flooding, drought and water pollution and erosion.
What are 2 main methods used to manage river catchments?
Hard engineering
Soft engineering
What is hard engineering?
This involves man-made structures such as dams which are often used to prevent flooding
What are 2 disadvantages of hard engineering?
Expensive
Can disrupt natural systems
What is soft engineering?
This uses knowledge of the river basin and its processes to try to work with nature.
What does soft engineering involve?
Land use management
What are SUDS?
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
What do SUDS aim to do?
Imitate natural drainage systems rather than channelling water through drains and pipes
What are swales?
Vegetated tranches
What do swales do?
Increase interception of rainfall and retention basins store water
Why are SUDS more sustainable than traditional methods?
They work with the natural environment to improve drainage and water quality.
What does river restoration and conservation aim to do?
To restore river systems to a more natural state.
