Overview

This pilot project established the opportunities for, and barriers to, the application of integrated SuDS technologies in a school setting.

The rainwater management and reuse system installed by SDS holds back stormwater from the drainage network during peak storm conditions, reducing the frequency with which the CSO discharges untreated water into the River Exe.

The scheme includes the installation of a SDS WaterBank™ Intellistorm® system, equipped with SDS SYMBiotIC™ remote sensing and monitoring devices to provide data and analytics.

What They Did

The area of roof identified as suitable for the catchment of rainwater measures approximately 600m² and represents approximately half of the total roof area.

SDS has installed a 15m³ tank below-ground, equipped with a mains water back-up.

Water in the storage tank is pumped via ultra-violet treatment to the school’s toilets, replacing potable supplies for flushing purposes.

The tank overflows to a surface SuDS feature, a swale and raingarden, which also receives rainwater directly from the other half of the school roof.

Results

SDS SYMBiotIC™ devices, situated in an adjacent control box, provide data monitoring and the quantification of a number of indicators, including evidence of peak flow attenuation, reductions in potable water consumption, cost savings to the school, and estimated annual carbon reduction of 139kg CO₂e.

This scheme supports the primary goal of South West Water’s ‘Downstream Thinking’ approach to manage stormwater in sustainable and innovative ways.

SDS has supported numerous educational projects by improving the quality of surface runoff to protect developments from pollution, including at Eastern High School. As part of the £164 million upgrade programme, SDS was required to implement the efficient removal of surface water contaminants to ensure safe water receptors.