Rainwater Management Platform: transforming how the UK manages rainwater

Rainwater management plays a critical role in reducing flood risk, protecting water quality, supporting local water supplies, and building climate resilience. However, existing guidance - including The SuDS Manual - is largely static, technical and difficult to navigate for many users. As pressures from climate change and urban growth  increase, a much wider range of people need access to clear, trusted and practical advice. For water companies, retrofitting SuDS to remove surface water from sewerage networks is an increasingly crucial component of asset management and delivery.

The project brings together a broad set of organisations from across the water and built environment sectors. It is led by a core team comprising Wessex Water, CIRIA, HR Wallingford and Stantec, working collaboratively with a large author team including Robert Bray Associates, EPG, Arup, Groundwork, Mott MacDonald and others. Together, the partners aim to ensure that rainwater management guidance is accessible, up to date and usable by everyone from householders to professional designers. 

Over a two year period, the project will deliver a digital, user focused rainwater management platform tailored to a wide range of audiences. This includes homeowners wanting to install rainwater harvesting systems, practitioners working on retrofit schemes, and engineers designing rainwater management systems for complex new developments.

The platform will leverage smart digital tools, including a bespoke AI Large Language Model, to interpret a curated Body of Knowledge and serve guidance at the right level of detail for each user. This approach allows people to access trusted information without needing to navigate lengthy technical documents.

In addition to refreshed good practice guidance covering planning, design, construction and maintenance, the platform will provide innovative tools for visualisation, design and specification. By combining authoritative content with intelligent delivery, the platform is designed to support better decision making at every stage of rainwater management.
HR Wallingford brings its expertise in sustainable drainage, performance, and evidence based guidance to ensure the platform is technically robust while remaining practical and accessible.

The Rainwater Management Platform will help improve how rainwater is managed across the UK by focusing on valuing rainwater runoff as a resource rather than a waste product, and by making best‑practice guidance easier to access, understand and apply. By supporting more consistent, informed decisions, the platform is expected to improve the quality of rainwater management solutions, reduce flood risk, improve water security and protect water environments.