Urban Drainage Group

Our vision and aims

The CIWEM Urban Drainage Group (UDG) sustains the excellence of people professionally engaged in urban drainage management now and for future generations. It continues the work of WaPUG which was established in 1984.

The aims and objectives of the Urban Drainage Group are aligned with CIWEM’s Royal Charter. They are to:

• Advance the science and practice of urban drainage management for the public benefit.
• Promote education, training, study and research in urban drainage management and to publish the results of such research.
• Establish and maintain appropriate standards of competence for urban drainage management Professionals.

Please contact us at udg@ciwem.org

UDG community page

Get more involved with the Urban Drainage Group! For the latest announcements and discussions, please visit your UDG community page by logging into your account.

UDG New Members Development community page

This is a page for all people working towards becoming a qualified member of CIWEM. We are hoping this would be an opportunity to have discussions on key topics; keep up to date with events and activities relevant to those in training; and ask questions of senior members of the UDG communities.

There is a recognition that many members in the UDG community have the same challenges in completing their competencies, and sharing examples of how these objectives are met can help overcome these hurdles. The value of this page will increase with use, so do contribute.

If you have suggestions on how to improve this page please contact James Hale james.hale@rpsgroup.com or Fiona Barbour fiona.barbour@mottmac.com.

Diary Dates 2022

UDG Training Day 2022 - 16-17 March 2022

This year’s CIWEM UDG training day will be held over two days, 16-17^th March in Hopin and will focus on extremes in weather, and how we as engineers, environmentalists, planners and policy makers, design urban drainage to be resilient and manage the risk of exceedance.

Our packed programme will include CPD-accredited interactive sessions, technical paper presentations, panel discussions, practical sessions and speed networking.

Spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Why should you attend?

The training will enhance your knowledge and skills in designing and adapting urban drainage to cope with extremes in weather.

Learning objectives include:

• Understand what we mean by designing for exceedance.
• Understand how the various systems that collectively make up the drainage system work together and how they should evolve and be adapted.
• Assess the current organisational alignment and whether it is providing the right opportunities. What could be done to make them work better?
• Understand how the economics of dealing with extremes influences decisions.
• Provide an overview of traditional versus sustainable solutions.

Understand how the challenges we face today will evolve and whether they could be at odds with future generation’s needs.

Prices (inclusive of local taxes, where applicable):

• Two-day ticket: £60.00
• Sponsorship: £900.00

For sponsorship enquiries, please email ciwemevents@syonmedia.com

UDG Spring Conference 2022 - 8 June 2022

CIWEM Urban Drainage Group is thrilled to be hosting our Spring Conference within the CIWEM Flood and Coast Conference at Telford on the 8th June 2022. We are particularly excited as it is our first time at Flood and Coast and our first physical event in nearly 2.5 years.

As an event within an event we expect to benefit from additional delegates to join our sessions from Flood and Coast and our delegates and speakers will have access to the complete Flood and Coast experience. As such, this spring, our event draws on the synergies between Flood and Coast and urban drainage themes to bring together professionals from across the urban drainage management and flood risk communities to share best practice, innovation, and particularly collaborative experiences.

The range of topics covered by urban drainage group events is broad. This ‘call for papers’ is your opportunity to get involved and to help CIWEM develop a compelling and diverse programme. We are especially interested in how you have demonstrated innovation, out-performed expectations, worked successfully with partners or overcome technical challenges.

Here are some ideas to spark your imagination:

• Drainage and wastewater Management Plans – as we rush to the end of the first pass what are your reflections on successes, thoughts on lessons learnt and how can we build on the benefits of working with stakeholders?
• Storm overflows – a perennial topic – concepts and practical experience of how can we balance the public’s expectation with responsible stewardship of our urban environment and management of flood risk?
• Surface Water management – do you have practical examples of linking the solutions to multiple challenges and delivering partnership and innovative outcomes beyond simple grey solutions and increased conveyance?
• Living with extremes – building from our Training day and including reflection from it – how do we maintain and improve community flood risk management? From prediction, mitigation to permanent solution - as the extremes of rainfall we experience continue to grow.
• Are there lessons from Europe, North America or Asia that can help us?

Abstracts should be no more than one side of A4 and take the following format:

1. Paper / presentation title

2. Presenter(s) and affiliation (maximum 2)

3. Any other authors and affiliation

4. Contact details for corresponding author

5. Paper outline - be concise and clearly state any novelty or innovation and who will be interested in the paper and why.

Email your abstract(s) to jonathan.cutting@wsp.com before 5:00 pm on Friday 11th March 2022.

Successful contributors will receive a complimentary day delegate ticket to Flood and Coast.

With thanks to our event sponsors: