SuDS Efficiency during the Start‐Up Period under Mediterranean Climatic Conditions

Abstract

This paper presents the performance of a number of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in the city of Xàtiva in the Valencia Region of Spain relatively soon after their construction. The systems studied comprise two roadside swales, one detention basin receiving runoff from one of the swales and one green roof to a school. The SuDS were installed under an EU LIFE+ project intended to demonstrate their practicability, application and behaviour under Mediterranean rainfall conditions. Most of the systems installed were in new developments but the green roof was retrofitted to a school within Xàtiva which is a dense urban area. Full flow monitoring was undertaken and spot samples were taken to give a preliminary assessment of water quality performance. The early results presented in the paper demonstrate the effectiveness of the systems under typical Mediterranean conditions which comprise intense rainfall from September to December and little or no precipitation at other times of the year. It is concluded that SuDS can be effectively introduced in the Mediterranean region of Spain.

A regenerative urban stormwater management methodology. The role of SuDS construction and monitoring in the transition of a Mediterranean city.

“…Perales-Momparler et al (2013), in Annex 6, describes the different activities that took place in the frame of the first EU funded project that facilitated the uptake of the SuDS approach in Benaguasil (www.aquavalproject.eu). More technical aspects of the experiments (activity 6 of the wheel), consisting of the construction and monitoring of SuDS showcases in the Valencian region, can be found in Perales-Momparler et al (2014), in Annex 2; Charlesworth et al (2013), in Annex 3; Perales-Momparler et al (with editor), in Annex 4; and Millán-Romero et al (2013) in Annex 5. The principal aspects are summarized in this section.…”

“…The four SuDS schemes were equipped with suitable instrumentation, and monitored for a year both in terms of runoff quantity and quality (Millán et al, 2013;Perales-Momparler et al, 2014).…”

“…Table 2 summarizes all the equipment installed and the output variables. Perales-Momparler et al (2014)). …”

“…Details of sampling points can be found in Table 3 and the sampling procedure is described in Perales-Momparler et al (2014).…”

“…Although SuDS have been implemented in many parts of the globe (Novotny et al, 2010), experience is limited in the Mediterranean region Charlesworth et al, 2013;Chouli et al, 2007) in particular characterizing the response of SuDS in the region, with its long dry periods and torrential rain (Millán et al, 2013;Perales-Momparler et al, 2014;Terzakis et al, 2008). Hence, there is a need for 'learning by doing' experiments which can demonstrate the effectiveness of this new approach (Barbosa et al, 2012;Binney et al, 2010;Lamera et al, 2014;Tukker and Butter, 2007) since, according to Nevens et al (2013), experiments can be major triggers for the take-off and acceleration of transitions (Van der Brugge and Romans, 2007).…”