Sustainability

  • Our essential guide to the CIRIA 753 SuDS manual for water management

    If you’re a drainage designer in the UK, you probably already know about the CIRIA SuDS manual: To help our customers interpret these guidelines, we’ve created “A Guide to Representing SuDS in InfoDrainage”, which explains all of the settings and options in the software that can help you meet the recommendations of the CIRIA manual.…

    Drainage design

  • The role of ponds and infiltration basins in sustainable drainage design

    Ponds and infiltration basins are two of the most effective strategies in sustainable drainage design, offering multiple benefits beyond simple stormwater control. By capturing runoff from impervious surfaces and either storing it for gradual release or allowing it to soak back into the ground, these systems reduce flood risks, improve water quality, and recharge groundwater…

    Storm, sewer, flood
  • illustration of a soakaway sustainable drainage feature

    What are soakaways and how should they be designed?

    Evolving weather patterns and increasing rainfall lead to water and drainage challenges for homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Developers must incorporate drainage systems in their planning that can solve current water challenges and meet tomorrow’s unknown water management needs. Soakaways can create safer, more resilient communities while protecting the environment. What are soakaways? Soakaways reduce the…

    Drainage design
  • illustration of sustainable drainage project. The image shows a bioswale, which is a landscaped feature designed to manage stormwater runoff and promote groundwater recharge. The bioswale includes a variety of plants and grasses that help filter pollutants from the water. The area is green and lush, with various types of vegetation interspersed throughout. The ground has a gentle slope directing water flow toward the plants, which aids in natural water purification and absorption. The setting appears to be part of an urban or suburban environment, with some paved surfaces visible nearby.

    Smart City SuDS: How I built a practical toolbox for evaluating bioswales

    We are pleased to spotlight guest author Mariya Bodylevskaya, who discovered InfoDrainage in the course of her studies around sustainable drainage at HFT Stuttgart. She shares her experience building a framework for better understanding and evaluating the performance of bioswales in urban environments. For several years, I have studied the topic of Sustainable Drainage Systems…

    Drainage design

  • What is a bioretention system and how does it help control stormwater runoff?

    Bioretention is a stormwater management practice that harnesses natural processes to treat and manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, and parking lots. If you live in a city, you may have seen many of these types of systems. By utilizing a combination of vegetation, soil, and beneficial microorganisms, bioretention systems capture,…

    Sustainability

  • 3 top trends from the 2025 State of Design & Make report

    Every year, Autodesk releases its State of Design & Make report. This annual report compiles the thoughts and opinions of professionals across architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO), design and manufacturing (D&M), and media and entertainment (M&E). The new 2025 version of the report collected more data than ever before, surveying 5,500 industry leaders to…

    Industry news

  • How do swales work? Understanding what a swale is and how they should be designed.

    Swales are essential components in modern drainage design and play a significant role in managing stormwater runoff, rainwater runoff, and promoting sustainable drainage practices. These shallow, vegetated channels are designed to slow down, capture, and filter stormwater by controlling the flow of water through the swale, reducing the risk of flooding and improving water quality.…

    Drainage design

  • The path to digital transformation in water infrastructure is becoming more clear

    The water industry is undergoing a state of rapid change, which will only speed up as the climate shifts. GHD research estimates that droughts, floods and storms could wipe $5.6 trillion from the GDP of world’s top economies by 2050. Are we prepared as an industry for the challenges that are unfolding? Way back in…

    Sustainability

  • AMP8 opportunities: Solving the UK’s CSO problems with hydraulic modelling

    The recent AMP8 funding cycle is perhaps the best chance for water providers to secure funding for changing the way they monitor and solve for CSOs. We’ve written about it in our new white paper, AMP8’s unprecedented opportunities, a portion of which we’re excerpting here on the One Water Blog. How software can help manage…

    Storm, sewer, flood

  • AMP8 period: An important inflection point for the UK water industry [white paper]

    If you live in the UK, you know all about the water industry’s sewage and finance woes. The past few years has seen a steady stream of bad news and increasingly vocal public outcry. But there is reason to believe that things may be finally turning around. Ofwat, the government regulator in charge of funding,…

    Sustainability