New regulations are set to make the use of Sustainable Drainage Schemes compulsory for development and redevelopment serving more than one property as part of far-reaching measures to improve flood risk management and control in England and Wales.

As half the UK was officially declared in drought -what happened? The rains came. We seem to be being beset by drought and deluge in equal measure. It's clear that drought does not mean an end to surface water flooding.

Controlling the volume and flow of water to reduce the risk of flooding has for a long time been the main focus of surface water management. By comparison, the need to treat pollutants in surface water has been given a lesser priority.

Renewed urgency in implementing much-needed Sustainable Drainage systems that tackle surface water flooding can be achieved by adopting a more realistic and pragmatic understanding of the techniques available, drainage experts are urging.