Economic Benefits of Sustainable Drainage

Economic benefits likely to accrue from sustainable drainage include the following: The increased application of on-site sustainable drainage solutions by the developer will mean that less investment will be required in the provision and maintenance of traditional piped infrastructure. This should reduce costs for infrastructure providers such as DRD Transport NI, DARD Rivers Agency and Northern Ireland Water and also the need to seek cost recovery from the developer; The removal of storm water from combined sewerage systems will reduce the running costs of sewage treatment works and costs associated with pollution of watercourses; Developer savings can accrue through the combination and integration of sustainable drainage with open space provision, particularly on residential sites where the latter is usually required for amenity reasons; Developer costs associated with designing and installing a sustainable drainage system are invariably less than with a traditional piped system; The retention of stormwater as a consequence of sustainable drainage may offer scope for rainwater harvesting and the reuse of this water can result in economic benefits. Considerations such as long term water resource security and improved water supply efficiency are assuming greater economic importance in the face of continually increasing demands upon water resources.