15 Road Drainage and the Water Environment
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HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY 15 ROAD DRAINAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT 15.1 Introduction 15.1.1 This chapter assesses the impacts of the Scheme on road drainage and the water environment during construction and operation, focussing on the effects of highway drainage on the quality and hydrology of receiving waters. In view of the long design-life of the Scheme (30 years for new gantries, 40 years for new carriageway construction, and 120 years for new bridges), the decommissioning phase of the Scheme has not been considered in this chapter because its effects are not predicted to be worse than the effects assessed during the construction and operational phases. The chapter assesses four principal impacts: a) effects of routine runoff on surface water bodies; b) effects of routine runoff on groundwater; c) pollution impacts from spillages; and d) flood impacts. 15.1.2 Although Interim Advice Note (”IAN”) 161/13 ‘Managed Motorways, All lane running’ (Ref 15-1) has scoped out the assessment of ‘Road Drainage and the Water Environment’ for smart motorway schemes, the assessment is required to ensure the protection of the water environment, to prevent its degradation, and ensure adequate mitigation measures are in place to prevent any adverse impacts. 15.1.3 The road drainage and water environment assessment for the Scheme has been undertaken in accordance with standard industry practice and statutory guidance. 15.1.4 This chapter details the methodology followed for the assessment, and summarises the regulatory and policy framework relating to road drainage and the water environment. It then discusses Scheme-wide considerations. Next, the Scheme-wide baseline, mitigation, and residual effects are discussed. Location-specific considerations and effects are then described for each link of the Scheme from west (junction 12) to east (junction 3) to assess specific residual effects between each link. Cumulative effects are then discussed, followed by an analysis of the limitations of the assessment. Finally, a summary table is provided. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 15 ROAD DRAI NAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT MARCH 2015 PAGE 15-1 HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY 15.1.5 All drawings referenced within this chapter are presented in Document Reference 6.2 (ES Figures), and all appendices referenced in this chapter are presented in Document Reference 6.3 (ES Appendices). 15.2 Methodology General approach 15.2.1 The method applied follows the approach outlined in Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (“DMRB”) Volume 11, Section 3, Part 10 (HD 45/09) (Ref 15-2) and Volume 4, Section 2, Part 3 (HD 33/06) (Ref 15-3). HD 45/09 gives guidance on assessing the impacts on the water environment (water quantity and quality), whilst HD 33/06 provides guidance on the drainage of trunk roads including motorways. 15.2.2 Baseline data have been collated from secondary sources but no field surveys have been undertaken. An assessment of the potential for environmental impacts on the surface water environment has been undertaken for the construction and operation phases following a desk study approach. 15.2.3 The following documents have been prepared and form part of the information in respect of the Scheme: a) Drainage Strategy, focused on the management of surface water runoff (Document Reference 7.5); and b) Flood Risk Assessment (“FRA”), to identify potential sources of flood risk in relation to the Scheme (Document Reference 5.3). Drainage strategy methodology 15.2.4 Using design information shown on the drawings appended to the Drainage Strategy (Document Reference 7.5), Google maps and the LIDAR data 1 of the existing carriageway, the total increase in impermeable area as a result of widening of the carriageway and creation of Emergency Refuge Areas (“ERAs”) has been estimated. The Drainage Strategy outlines suitable mitigation measures to manage the additional runoff from the increased impermeable area. These are described in the Drainage Strategy (Document Reference 7.5) and are summarised below: 1 Light Detection and Ranging ("LIDAR") is an airborne mapping technique, which uses a laser to measure the distance between the aircraft and the ground. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 15 ROAD DRAI NAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT MARCH 2015 PAGE 15-2 HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY a) new drainage systems will be required in the central reserve and the verge. Proposed drainage collection and carrier pipe systems will be designed in accordance with the HD 33/06 for a 1 in 5 year storm event with a 20% allowance for climate change on new paved areas only; b) additional volumes of surface water runoff generated from new paved areas are to be facilitated by increased attenuation and use of overflow outfalls to systems such as soakaways; c) discharge rates at outfalls will not exceed existing discharge rates. So far as practicable discharge rates will be restricted to less than 5 l/s by flow control devices. To reduce the risk of blockages within the system, flows will not be restricted by small drainage system outfalls; d) where proposed impermeable areas increase by more than 10% relative to existing impermeable areas from localised carriageway widening, oversized pipes or manhole chambers are to be used to provide attenuated of flow rates that are to be restricted to existing flow rates at outfalls. Attenuation and flow restrictions to existing rates at outfalls would minimise the impact of flood risk following development of the Scheme; e) the discharges from the Scheme will utilise the existing surface water discharges from the M4. There will be no new discharges or outfalls and the M4 will continue to discharge as it does now; and f) the Drainage Strategy includes measures that will augment existing pollution control measures. The drainage systems are either active or passive in operation. Active systems (requiring operator intervention) comprise penstocks, valves and notched weirs. Passive systems comprise swales, ponds, wetlands, ditches, basins, silt traps, filter drains, soakaways and oil separators. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 15 ROAD DRAI NAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT MARCH 2015 PAGE 15-3 HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY 15.2.5 Where proposed areas of non-coplanar hard shoulder are to change to coplanar 2 , the drainage system has been modelled to identify the requirement for any upgrades to the existing drainage system. The Drainage Strategy examines the need for providing new drainage systems in the central reserve and the verge. Flood risk methodology Development classification 15.2.6 The FRA (Document Reference 5.3) has been produced in accordance with the Technical Guidance to the National Planning Policy Framework (“NPPF”) (Ref 15-4). 15.2.7 The National Networks National Policy Statement (“NN NPS”) (Ref 15-5), particularly paragraphs 5.92 to 5.97, has been used to inform the FRA. One objective of the NN NPS is for schemes to contribute towards reducing the risk of flooding in the hinterland. Paragraph 5.95 of the NN NPS notes that further guidance can be found in the NPPF Technical Guidance. The NPPF Technical Guidance states that considerations during design should be areas of hard standing, design standards for drainage systems, interactions of national networks with flood plains and watercourses and maintenance standards. 15.2.8 The FRA uses flood risk vulnerability to classify the Scheme. This is important as all developments should take into account the flood risk vulnerability of land uses to ensure development is steered towards appropriate locations. Under this classification, roads fall within the category of ‘essential infrastructure’. 15.2.9 Flood Zones are defined in the NPPF Technical Guidance and refer to the probability of river and sea flooding, ignoring the presence of existing defences (Table 15.1). 2 Coplanar surfaces are surfaces that are in alignment with each other i.e. surfaces in hard shoulder areas slope in the same direction as the main carriageway. Non-coplanar surfaces are where hard shoulder areas are slope in the opposite direction to the main carriageway. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 15 ROAD DRAI NAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT MARCH 2015 PAGE 15-4 HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY Table 15.1 Definition of flood zones Annual Probability of Corresponding Annual Flood Zone Flooding (%) Chance of Flooding (1 in x) * Flood Zone 1 Fluvial <0.1% >1,000 Low Probability Flood Zone 2 Fluvial 0.1-1.0% 1,000-100 Medium Probability Flood Zone 3a Fluvial >1.0% <100 High Probability Flood Zone 3b Fluvial >5.0%** The Functional <20 Floodplain * Replace x with annual chance of flooding in column ** Starting point for consideration. Local Planning Authorities should identify the Functional Floodplain, which should not be defined solely by rigid probability parameters. Sequential and exception tests 15.2.10 The NPPF requires that the new development should pass the Sequential and Exception tests. The Sequential Test aims to steer new development to areas at the lowest probability of flooding (Flood Zone 1). For the Exception Test to be passed, it must be demonstrated that the development provides wider sustainability benefits to the community that outweigh flood risk. Further details on the Sequential and Exception tests are contained within the FRA. Assessment of groundwater conditions 15.2.11 Groundwater conditions have been assessed by identifying the existence of aquifers and Source Protection Zones (“SPZ”) in the study area, and then assessing the impacts upon them from the Scheme. The Environment Agency (“EA”) has identified different types of aquifer, which are defined as underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock or drift deposits from which groundwater can be extracted. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 15 ROAD DRAI NAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT MARCH 2015 PAGE 15-5 HIGHWAYS AGENCY – M4 JUNCTIONS 3 TO 12 SMART MOTORWAY 15.2.12 The types of aquifers are defined below.