Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies. Modern drainage systems incorporate geotextile filters that retain and prevent fine grains of soil from passing into and clogging the drain. A sustainable urban drainage system is designed to reduce the potential impact of new and existing developments with respect to surface water drainage discharges. Over the past 30 years geotextile and PVC filters have become the most commonly used soil filter media. The paradigm of SUDS solutions should be that of a system that is easy to manage, requiring little or no energy input, resilient to use, and being environmentally as well as aesthetically attractive. The civil engineer or site engineer is responsible for drainage in construction projects. This book identifies potential problems and management options in the development, production, treatment and disposal of drainage water. In addition, it presents technical background and guidelines on each of the options to enable improved assessment of their impacts and to facilitate the preparation of drainage water management plans and designs. It should particularly appeal to the technocrat, the social scientists, economists, bureaucrats and the concerned citizens associated with working in similar project the world over.
