S4E02: Could nature help solve the UK’s sewer overflow challenge?

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Recorded27 Feb 2025

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We’ve all seen the headlines—over the past decade, the UK has seen record-breaking rainfall, with climate change driving more intense weather. But our drainage infrastructure, much of it built over a century ago, was not designed to cope with these extremes. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs)—originally developed to prevent flooding by discharging excess water when sewers reach capacity—are now being triggered more often, increasing the risk of surface water flooding. As populations grow and cities expand, drainage networks are now being pushed to their limits. While larger pipes and storage tanks might help in the short term, they too have limited capacity and are both costly and carbon intensive to build. Clearly, grey infrastructure alone won’t fix the problem. The UK needs a smarter, more sustainable approach to managing water—one that eases pressure on sewers before storms hit. In this episode, we focus on blue-green infrastructure, which combines natural features like wetlands and rain gardens with conventional drainage systems to manage water more effectively, reduce flood risk and create greener, healthier places to live. Host Toby Sadler speaks to those at the forefront of the innovative projects already making an impact, from the UK’s largest sustainable drainage scheme in Mansfield, Derbyshire to Glasgow’s Smart Canal, which pairs blue-green principles with digital technology, to Castle Archdale’s integrated constructed wetland in Northern Ireland, which functions as both a wastewater treatment system and a community asset. Together, our speakers tackle the key questions: could nature help solve the UK’s sewer overflow challenge? And what are the steps needed to implement blue-green infrastructure on a wider scale? Tune in now to hear from: Simon Parsons, Director of Environment, Planning and Assurance (Scottish Water) Paddy Brow, Head of Living with Water Programme (Northern Ireland Water) Hannah Howe, Principal Consultant (AECOM) Find out more over on: https://aecom.com/podcasts/talking-infrastructure-podcast/ ------------------- Welcome to season 4 of AECOM’s Talking Infrastructure podcast. Talking Infrastructure delves into the industry’s hot topics, key projects, and the ground-breaking innovations that are helping to solve some of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges. -------------- Useful links: Come and work for AECOM: discover the recruitment opportunities here: https://aecom.jobs/ Blog: Living With Water Programme: protecting, enhancing and growing Belfast Blog: Mansfield: designing the UK’s largest sustainable drainage scheme Connect with us on social: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aecom/ https://www.instagram.com/aecom/

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.