SUDS (Sustainable Drainage System) are a range of techniques that aim to mimic the way rainfall drains in natural systems within urban areas.

Many existing urban drainage systems can cause problems of flooding, pollution or damage to the environment and are not proving to be sustainable in the long term.

SBS provides a Sustainable Drainage Design service through our partner company Geo Environmental Sciences Limited (GESL) comprising a range of options for planners, architects, installers or homeowners.

Within the bathroom and toilet areas of a property, there are a number of ways to reduce water consumption. The easiest way to reduce the amount of water used is to look at the sanitaryware and brassware used within these two areas.

Many manufacturers now offer water saving products such as dual flush cisterns, low volume baths and short projection basins to help make reductions. Taps and showers can also be water saving. By using flow limiting features on taps and showers, huge savings can be made.

Rainwater Harvesting is the collection of water that would otherwise have gone down the drain, into the ground or been lost through evaporation. Large surfaces such as roofs or driveways are ideal for rainwater harvesting and can provide up to 100m3 (100,000 litres) of water per year from a medium sized area. This water can be used to flush toilets, water gardens and even feed the washing machine.

Rainwater harvesting systems can be installed in both new and existing buildings; the harvested water used for purposes that do not require drinking water quality. Rainwater harvesting has the potential to save a large volume of mains water and therefore help reduce the pressure on water resources.

Water can also be recycled and used for garden watering using simple rainwater butts