07 Aug 2024

In response to last week’s news on the government’s review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), an interesting debate on social media around highway drainage. In short, given that 30%-70% of storm flows in combined sewers are from roads and footpaths, should more of the cost of managing these flows be picked up by highway […]

03 Jul 2024

A park drainage system will be created to absorb run-off water pollution from one of Brighton’s busiest roads. Experts are analysing the site at Wild Park, in Moulsecoomb, before the main groundwork starts in August. The £1.79 million project comprises four shallow wetlands which will hold water during heavy rainfall, filtering out pollution from nearby […]

14 May 2024

A report launched by Stormwater Shepherds and CIWEM shines a light on the toxic cocktail of pollutants that runs off the UK’s road network and into our rivers and water sources every time it rains. The pollution comes from tyre particles, fuel spills and other vehicle fluids, road surface fragments, sediment and herbicides. These contain […]

13 Mar 2024

While sewage and intensive farming pollution steal the media headlines, an eco-toxic cocktail of hydrocarbons, metals and plastics runs off our roads into rivers and streams when it rains. Stormwater Shepherds and CIWEM have been pulling together the evidence. Poly aromatic hydrocarbons are nasty, toxic organic substances. They are carcinogenic; they cause mutations and deformities in aquatic organisms and they affect their […]

07 Feb 2024

A toxic mix of oil, chemicals and bits of tyre from roads is polluting English waterways and no-one is regularly monitoring it, the BBC has found. Heavy rain forces run-off into streams and rivers. Campaigners say it causes “absolutely horrific” damage in places, including just downstream of where The Great British Bake Off is filmed. […]

30 Aug 2023

National Highways (NH) has published its 2030 Water Quality Plan. It sets out a high-level programme of work to mitigate all high-risk outfalls by 2030. There are 1,236 outfalls & soakaways identified by NH as having a potential high risk of pollution. Of these, 145 have a verified high risk of pollution and therefore require […]

09 Nov 2022

New Civil Engineer The highways industry is facing a critical knowledge gap regarding the installation and maintenance of drainage infrastructure according to a leading water management firm. ACO Water Management has surveyed 100 infrastructure and highways engineers and compiled the responses in its new report Highways Drainage: The Route to Surface Water Management, which is also […]