SUDS: rain gardens: splash strips, swales, attenuation ponds.

[ToughButterCup]

On 04/06/2023 at 16:59, Jenki said:

@ToughButterCup, how did you resolve this, did you end up DIY'ing a solution?

 

I looked at all the online help on swales and rain gardens - here -  for example. The images are of more help than the text.

 

Our roof faces North and South.

 

The North face drains to a rain garden (in construction still : old plasterers bath, reeds and a bit of plumbing) and the overflow from that - via a sand filter bed - into an attenuation pond. The overflow from that goes then to the pond - itself built on an existing spring. I discovered the spring by getting our digger stuck on (in) it. The process of digging ourselves out of the area showed that the hole dug continually refilled itself.  The attenuation pond has overflowed once in three years

 

The rain from the North face is ducted straight to the pond (via another raingarden)  with the 110 pipe hidden artfully with stones. That provides most water for the pond . Every time it rains, all the water goes into the pond. 

 

The pond itself overflows into some of our lower garden: an Alder and an unknown tree (beautiful red papery bark)  loves it.

 

Cost? 50 meters of 110 pipe, digger for 2 days, two plasterer's 'baths', odds and sods of piping and some cladding to hide the raingarden holder.

 

Shown with pride to the BCO:  who could not have been less interested. 

[saveasteading]

On 26/01/2021 at 17:35, Temp said:

What people propose to Building Control and what they actually build are sometimes different. 

I had a long chat with an EA officer on these lines. She said that planners don't usually understand SUDS, developers then change agreed strategies with the Bco and it doesn't do the job. I had explained why we proposed a change of suds design and she agreed it worked better than the original....and could I give a talk on the practicalities at the EA conference...which never happened.

 

I once saw a big hole and a delivery of crates on a Friday, all gone on Monday with a tree in the middle.  Bco must have fallen for it.

Edited June 13, 2023 by saveasteading

[saveasteading]

44 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

raingarden

I got free advice from an environmental consultant, just to let nature take over. That was successful very quickly with marginal and pond plants finding their way, as did common newts.

 

If there had been a fee he would have had to specify lots of plants.

 

Did you know that if you get possessive about a very  small newt, it is known as my newt ?

[saveasteading]

On 26/01/2021 at 16:09, jamieled said:

most of the examples are large scale for housing developments

In Medway (Kent) they are building developments where there is no viable drainage  solution.. 

 

 

So they are exempt from the 5m rule and SUDS. Money trumps sustainability.

I think the council accepts an oldfahione rubble soakaway,anywhere, and a barrel.

[saveasteading]

1 minute ago, saveasteading said:

On 26/01/2021 at 16:09, jamieled said:

most of the examples are large scale for housing developments

In Medway (Kent) they are building developments where there is no viable drainage  solution.. 

 

 

So they are exempt from the 5m rule and SUDS. Money trumps sustainability.

I think the council accepts an oldfahioned rubble soakaway,anywhere, and a barrel

 

[saveasteading]

Can someone  tell.me if my post above is complete with quote and comment? I've got this thing called zombie finger, acc to Google, where the finger to sceen contact often fails.

 

Ahh it worked OK this time.

[Jenki]

4 hours ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

I looked at all the online help on swales and rain gardens - here -  for example. The images are of more help than the text.

 

Our roof faces North and South.

 

The North face drains to a rain garden (in construction still : old plasterers bath, reeds and a bit of plumbing) and the overflow from that - via a sand filter bed - into an attenuation pond. The overflow from that goes then to the pond - itself built on an existing spring. I discovered the spring by getting our digger stuck on (in) it. The process of digging ourselves out of the area showed that the hole dug continually refilled itself.  The attenuation pond has overflowed once in three years

 

The rain from the North face is ducted straight to the pond (via another raingarden)  with the 110 pipe hidden artfully with stones. That provides most water for the pond . Every time it rains, all the water goes into the pond. 

 

The pond itself overflows into some of our lower garden: an Alder and an unknown tree (beautiful red papery bark)  loves it.

 

Cost? 50 meters of 110 pipe, digger for 2 days, two plasterer's 'baths', odds and sods of piping and some cladding to hide the raingarden holder.

 

Shown with pride to the BCO:  who could not have been less interested. 

Thanks for the detailed reply. I like the idea of two rain gardens (North& South also) and emptying to a pond. This is going to be my base design, overflow from the pond to a wetland and swale👍

[ToughButterCup]

I'm glad the post was of use.

Maybe you read about our BCO saying it was fine to duct some (half the)  rainwater off a small roof (5 by 2)  and into our digester ? .... Less than sensible. A whole days rain partially destroyed the bugs in the tank. And we all knew about it for a week or so. Its completely cleared itself up now with no intervention at all.

 

While I now cannot (too much work) redirect the flow from that small roof to the pond, I can insert a diverter into the downpipe from the small roof into a water butt. Debbie wil now have have some rainwater for her delicate plants. Brownie points: just about enough to even things out a bit.

 

When I get myself together  (just been in Ze Vaterland)  I'll put some pics together.

An ill wind that blows nobody any good eh? 

[saveasteading]

Diverter to barrel, then a hose on the tap, with outlet to the flower bed or anywhere, set to dribble the contents out over a day. That's suds.