SuDSlab: Delivering Real‐Time Data on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)

ABSTRACT Sustainably managing water is a global issue, with rapid land use change, climate change and ageing infrastructure increasing the risk of flooding. To help mitigate against and manage urban flood risk, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), along with Low Impact Development (LID), Sponge Cities and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), have been developed. SuDSlab is a multi‐objective testbed project based at the University of Hull, UK that employs a self‐healing mesh network of telemetry units and over 300 sensors to monitor, evaluate, engage and optimise water flowpaths ranging from quasi‐natural greenfield areas, through hybrid systems combining both green and grey infrastructure, to traditionally engineered storm drains and sewers. Data indicate that different flowpaths lead to different sub‐catchment responses depending on the time of year, influenced by water storage within soils and bedrock or changes in plant growth cycles. Findings show that SuDS can attenuate peak flows and enhance water retention, but their performance varies depending on antecedent conditions, SuDS design, and the scale at which they are deployed. The telemetry system is reproduceable and optimisable for deployment elsewhere. The aim is for similar systems to be adopted globally, supporting a comprehensive water sustainability strategy aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal for Sustainable Cities.