Highways·Thames Water Counters Creek SuDS·—·Thames Water Counters Creek SuDS

Thames Water Counters Creek SuDS (London)

1,000+ properties protected · combined sewer relief in Kensington, Chelsea and Hammersmith

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Key insight

The Counters Creek area lost 20% of permeable surface between 1971 and 2007 — showing that urban creep (garden paving, development) is a compounding factor alongside climate change in driving urban flood risk. SuDS addresses both simultaneously.

Transferability to UK: HighDirectly applicable to UK urban areas with combined sewerage systems and high rates of historic paving-over of gardens and verges.

Thames Water implemented a SuDS programme in the Counters Creek catchment (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea / London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham) to address repeated surface water flooding from overwhelmed combined sewers following intense rainfall events. The area lost nearly 20% of permeable green space between 1971 and 2007, significantly increasing runoff. The scheme protects over 1,000 properties.

Climate drivers

Heavy rainfallFlooding – surface water

Impacts

→Combined sewer surcharge→Surface water flooding→Property flooding

Adaptation measures

  • Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
  • Surface water attenuation
  • Combined sewer relief measures
  • Permeable paving

Assets affected

Road pavementDrainage infrastructure

Investment

Not publicly available

Band: Not reported

Delivery period

—

  • Intense rainfall events were experienced in August 2004, May 2006 and May, June, July 2007 , negatively impacting roads, pavements and nearby buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham .
  • In June-July 2007 this area of London experienced 150-200% of the average rainfall expected for those months combined, based on 1961-1990 averages .
  • In this area (Counters Creek catchment) there is a combined sewerage system (collection of both ‘foul’ and ‘run-off’ flows) . Combined sewerage systems are at higher risk of surcharge and flooding during and after heavy rainfall due to the high volume of rainwater exceeding drainage capacity.
  • Without efficient and suitably sized drainage, this surface water runoff floods the roads, pavements and nearby buildings . During heavy rainfall events, the system is overwhelmed, and surface water accumulates in the area .
  • There is increased risk of flooding in the future due to population growth, urban creep and climate change, both due to increasing volumes and rainfall intensity . The Counters Creek area lost almost 20% of its permeable green space between 1971 and 2007 due to urbanisation .
  • Greater protection from flooding would benefit an area containing over 1,000 properties in the catchment .

Ref: ID_39 · Thames Water Counters Creek SuDS · Curated & verified by HIVE

Transferability to UK: High

Directly applicable to UK urban areas with combined sewerage systems and high rates of historic paving-over of gardens and verges. The SuDS retrofit approach — adding attenuation to existing urban road and drainage infrastructure — is replicable across UK cities experiencing increased rainfall intensity.

UK contexts

Urban London road and drainage networksOther UK cities with combined sewer systemsLocal authority surface water management plans

London & South East

Transfer to other sectors (AI)