The four pillars of SuDS

It's been a creative week at Flood & Civil! This fantastic take on the Four Pillars of 

SuDS was brought to life by our brilliant Jiaxi Zheng. 

So what are they?

💦 Water Quantity: Controlling the rate and volume of rainwater runoff to reduce flood risk and nourish the natural water cycle.

🐟 Water Quality: Managing the quality of rainwater runoff to prevent pollution and protect the environment.

🐝 Biodiversity: Creating and sustaining better places for nature.

🤸 Amenity: Creating and sustaining better places for people.

For me, amenity often feels like the forgotten pillar - but is arguably the most important.

Allowing people to enjoy, learn from or interact with SuDS provides tangible value to the community and contributes to the overall success and longevity of a NatureBased drainage solution. 

For me, this was a reminder that engineering isn’t just about calculations and technical details - it’s also about finding innovative ways to communicate ideas and inspire others.

Being part of this creative process at Flood & Civil has been enjoyable and I’m proud to contribute something that sparks conversations about how we can build better, more resilient communities.

What's your take on the four pillars? Some say there are more than four... 👀 

Ps. We are happy for our network to use this graphic in their reports or work but please don't forget to credit us and help out a new business finding their way!