Guidance on Water Cycle Management for New Developments
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CIRIA C690 London, 2010 WaND Guidance on water cycle management for new developments D Butler University of Exeter FA Memon University of Exeter C Makropoulos National Technical University of Athens A Southall University of Exeter L Clarke CIRIA Classic House, 174–180 Old Street, London EC1V 9BP TEL: 020 7549 3300 FAX: 020 7253 0523 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.ciria.org WaND Guidance on water cycle management for new developments Butler, D, Memon, FA, Makropoulos, C, Southall, A, Clarke, L CIRIA C690 © CIRIA 2010 RP777 ISBN: 978-086017-690-9 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library. Keywords Sustainable water cycle management, greywater, rainwater harvesting, SUDS, water efficiency, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, water and new developments (WAND) water management CIRIA Themes Sustainable water management, flood risk management and surface water drainage, sustainability and the built environment Reader interest Classification Land-use planning, water Availability Unrestricted industry, water supply, water Content Advice/guidance, original research resources, water use, environmental regulation, Status Author’s opinion, committee-guided provision and maintenance of USER Land-use planners, water industry, sustainable water management environmental regulators, developers systems Published by CIRIA, Classic house, 174-180 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BP This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered. It is sold and/or distributed with the understanding that neither the authors nor the publisher is thereby engaged in rendering a specific legal or any other professional service. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the publication, no warranty or fitness is provided or implied, and the authors and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage arising from its use. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, without the written permission of the copyright-holder, application for which should be addressed to the publisher. Such written permission must also be obtained before any part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature. If you would like to reproduce any of the figures, text or technical information from this or any other CIRIA publication for use in other documents or publications, please contact the Publishing Department for more details on copyright terms and charges at: [email protected] or tel: 020 7549 3300. For further information about CIRIA publications go to: <www.ciria.org> ii CIRIA C690 Executive summary This publication provides guidance on how to achieve improved sustainable water cycle management in new developments. It outlines the policy context and the processes involved in sustainable water cycle management focusing on why it is required and what approaches are needed for its successful planning and delivery. The research for the guidance was conducted by the WaND (water cycle management for new developments) research project whose aim was to support the delivery of a more integrated and sustainable approach to water management for new developments by the provision of tools and guidelines for project design, delivery and management. This guidance is based on the information collated in this multi-disciplinary research and presents the results for practitioners involved in water cycle management in new developments. Increases in the demand for water coupled with climate change and demographic shifts means that water stress is a growing problem in the UK. This has highlighted that traditional methods of water cycle management are unsustainable and it is increasingly important to consider alternative approaches. This document provides practitioners with an improved understanding of the tools and techniques necessary for achieving, delivering and adopting sustainable water cycle management in new developments. The changing perception of the water environment and the dynamic policy, social and technical responses have led to an increasingly more sustainable approach to water management. Although sustainability is not a set outcome the concept has been discussed in relation to the water cycle. This includes new technologies for delivering sustainable water cycle management to conserve, reuse and manage water in the environment. The technologies explored include water-saving devices, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and sustainable drainage systems (SUDS). Operational or research tools were developed in the WaND research project to evaluate performance and provide evidence on the suitability of these technologies. The tools identify important design and performance criteria/indicators and determine their potential contribution to sustainability. The tools that were developed primarily for the WaND research project are based on current and innovative water management technologies and practices. The guidance also highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement from an early stage to ensure support in the delivery of sustainable water cycle management. There are clear drivers for improved water management but a lack of knowledge on approaches, available technologies, delivery and the costs and maintenance of the systems has resulted in their slow uptake. This guidance addresses these issues and provides recommendations to encourage the use of sustainable water cycle management. The planning process is central in achieving sustainable water cycle management and it is recommended that water supply, wastewater disposal and surface water management are considered early in the planning process. Water-saving appliances can contribute to considerable water savings and several devices are available including low-flush toilets and aerated showers. Rainwater harvesting and greywater systems have the potential to save large amounts of water but need to be applied on the appropriate application scale because of their size and associated costs. Rainwater harvesting systems are encouraged in large buildings and in wetter parts of the country. The supply from greywater systems is WaND 2010 Guidance on water cycle management for new developments iii reliable because of the water availability and is recommended for multi-dwellings, blocks of flats, hotels and large public and commercial buildings. However they require more extensive treatment processes that vary in complexity and acceptability. The WaND research project tested five different greywater technologies to establish their performance, cost of operation and water quality standards and it was accepted that there were other systems on the market. It was also acknowledged that SUDS are an important part of surface water management and should be considered instead of traditional drainage methods providing local benefits in terms of flood risk management, water availability and quality of life. Other recommendations include a change in peoples’ perception of water and the relationship between water, energy use and consequently carbon reduction. Water should have greater value, which could result in less waste. iv CIRIA C690 Acknowledgements Authors David Butler BSc MSc PhD DIC CEng CEnv FICE FCIWEM David Butler is professor of water engineering at the University of Exeter and director of the Centre for Water Systems. He specialises in urban water management and was the director of the WaND research project. Prof Butler has authored/co-authored over 200 technical papers and several books/published reports including Urban drainage and Water demand management. He is a chartered civil engineer and fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). He is editor of CIWEM’s Water & and Environment Journal and the Urban Water Journal. Fayyaz Ali Memon BE (Civil) MA MSc DIC PhD Dr Fayyaz Ali Memon is a lecturer in water engineering at the University of Exeter. He specialises in sustainable urban water management. He was responsible for managing the WaND reasearch project and contributing to research activities on water recycling and wastewater collection systems. He has over 60 publications to his credit, including three books on various aspects of urban water management. He is a chartered engineer and environmentalist, member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and the co-ordinator of the WATERSAVE Network. Christos Makropoulos MEng (Civil) MSc DIC PhD Dr Christos Makropoulos is a lecturer in the School of Civil Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens. His research focuses on decision support systems in urban water management and water resources applications. He was responsible for the decision support tools development within the WaND research project. Dr Makropoulos has authored more than 70 journal and conference papers, best practice guidelines and book chapters, and is an associate editor of the Urban Water Journal and a visiting fellow of the University of Exeter. Andrew Southall BSc MSc DIC CGeol FGS CWEM FCIWEM FRSA Andrew qualified from Imperial College in 1981. He started as an assistant marine scientist working on surveys for long sea outfalls and after some time in marine geophysics (which included the marine geophysical survey for the