Managing Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) safely: Register for our webinar
RoSPA is hosting a free webinar on 'Designing out risk: Avoiding the five most costly SuDS design errors' on April 30, 2026.
As climate change intensifies and urban development expands, managing surface water safely and sustainably has become a legal and practical necessity. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are now a standard feature in new developments, designed to reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support biodiversity.
SuDS are water management solutions designed to mimic natural drainage. Instead of relying only on conventional pipes and sewers, SuDS use features such as ponds, swales, wetlands, permeable surfaces and basins to slow down and manage rainwater where it falls. Now widely used in housing developments, commercial sites and public spaces, SuDS are encouraged by planning policy across the UK as part of a sustainable approach to development and climate resilience.
However, while SuDS offer environmental benefits, they also introduce safety and compliance challenges - especially where water and people interact. Every year, around 400 people die from drowning in the UK, with the majority of incidents occurring in inland waterways - and often to individuals who had no intention of entering the water. SuDS features can pose serious risks if not properly assessed, so carrying out a SuDS safety report is vital. It ensures these systems are safe for the people who live, work and play around them.
Having reviewed hundreds of SuDS schemes across the UK, RoSPA’s water and leisure safety experts consistently see the same design mistakes repeated - often identified too late, when change is costly and disruptive.
Our webinar will explore the five most costly SuDS design errors, why they occur and how early-stage SuDS safety reviews can help developers, local authorities and managing agents design out risk from the outset, protecting communities while keeping projects on track.
Key takeaways:
- Understand the five most common and costly SuDS design mistakes
- Learn how early SuDS safety reviews reduce drowning risk, liability and enforcement action
- See how safety considerations can be integrated without undermining drainage performance or biodiversity
- Gain practical insight into avoiding planning delays and retrospective design changes
- Leave with clear guidance on when and how to apply SuDS safety reviews.
Who should attend
This webinar is ideal for:
- Developers and housebuilders
- Planning and drainage consultants
- Local authority officers (planning, highways, flood risk, parks and open spaces)
- Landscape architects and urban designers
- Managing agents and adopting authorities
- Health, safety and risk professionals involved in the built environment.
The webinar takes place on Thursday April, 10:00 am - 11:00 am. Register here
SuDS Report
Our consultants deliver SuDS reviews that reduce risk, save costs, and support planning approval.