____________________________________________________________________________________ Keyline
Civils Specialist
Why has road runoff flown under the radar ?
Few can deny how serious road runoff pollution is . Gathering the data to prove it , however , has been a challenge .
Monitoring is key to providing a body of evidence to governing bodies , proving the severity of road runoff pollution and the need for action . Though it has been argued that we know enough at this stage to treat road runoff routinely , a lack of data has undeniably slowed treatment .
Road runoff pollution is notoriously difficult to measure and quantify . It ’ s variable and weather dependent , so plotting out and scheduling monitoring is near-impossible for road runoff , as accurate sampling needs to be performed in the rain . Even finding the outfalls can be difficult and time-consuming ; mapping the outfalls will require collaboration between parties with access to the information . Flaws with spot sampling , a lack of consistency in approach to sampling from researchers , no legal requirement and expense are other contributing factors .
But data is just one concern – regulatory issues , questions over who is responsible , maintenance and lack of resources are all parts of the problem . Due to these challenges , little has been done in England to address road runoff to date , but with Schedule 3 around the corner , this is sure to change .
How can we overcome the challenges involved ?
None of the challenges described are insurmountable ; there are several actions we can take to mitigate their impact . For example , existing research can often sit unused – checking for data already available and collating it can help reduce the expense of additional monitoring . Trial sites and using predictive tools are other ways of improving our approach to monitoring .
For regulatory issues , any solution is inevitably more complex . As mentioned , Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 is expected to come into effect in England soon , which makes sustainable drainage systems ( SuDS ) mandatory for new developments over 100m2 . Schedule 3 has been in force in Wales since 2019 – the successful implementation of SuDS in Wales provides a useful framework for England to follow . Where a legal requirement is made , funding
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