Definition of key concepts
What is water sensitive (urban) design?
WS(U)D is a framework for the holistic management of the urban water cycle – the potable water supply, sewerage system and stormwater drainage system – and its integration into urban design. It is linked to the concepts of sustainable urban water management and integrated urban water management, which integrate social, environmental and economic aspects and emphasize resilient, equitable and regenerative approaches.
Water sensitive cities
Water Sensitive Cities are the objective of Water Sensitive Design. They are cities that are sustainable, resilient, productive and liveable through a combination of physical infrastructure, governance arrangements and social engagement.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) offer a sustainable alternative approach to conventional drainage practices. They achieve this by mimicking the natural hydrological cycle, often through a number of sequential interventions in the form of a ‘treatment train’.
The key objectives of SuDS are the effective management of stormwater runoff quantity, quality and the associated amenity and biodiversity of the urban drainage system.
The Water Cycle
The continuous movement of water on and below the earth’s surface, and between the earth and the atmosphere, is known as the water cycle or hydrologic cycle