Hydro International’s Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls have been installed into a new dam, near Devil’s Bridge, on the Blackburn Brook, just outside Sheffield. JBA Consulting specified two of the large flow control devices to reduce the risk of flooding on the nearby Thorncliffe Industrial Estate, and surrounding residential areas. The Blackburn Brook runs through a 500 m long culvert beneath the Thorncliffe Industrial Estate. The small weir, situated on the brook, creates a holding capacity of just 4000 cu.m; this isn’t large enough to provide protection from flooding.

Hydro International is celebrating after taking home the Water Environment Award at the 2009 Rushlight Awards. The accolade was presented for Hydro’s Filterra® system, an innovative new SUDS-compliant bioretention and biofiltration device, which improves stormwater runoff quality while enhancing urban street scenes. The annual Rushlight Awards are a celebration of new technology, innovation and best practice across the whole environmental spectrum for organisations throughout the UK and Ireland.

AN innovative new SUDS-compliant bioretention and bio filtration system from Hydro International could change UK urban street scenes and achieve greatly improved stormwater runoff quality and control in city environments. As the Government consults on proposals to enforce widespread application of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) across England, and Wales through the introduction of new national standards, the Hydro Filterra® system could revolutionise the management of stormwater runoff by bringing lessons learned from the USA where it is already extensively installed.

Rainwater harvesting and re-use is an increasingly important topic for public bodies, commercial enterprises and householders alike, and Hydro International’s extensive experience in rainwater recycling and control is reflected in its new Design Guide for their StormBank® and StormBank® Pro systems.

Hydro International is celebrating a ‘smashing’ success after its third annual thrills-and-spills team challenge, ‘It’s a Knockout’, played host to a record number of teams and raised over £5,000 for WaterAid. Despite torrential rain in the morning 17 teams of employees, suppliers and business partners battled for a place in the grand final. The sun finally came out, just in time to see ARC Energy Resources crowned this year’s winner, taking home the coveted Tap Trophy from Total Ltd.

Surface water infiltration devices based on modular block systems are rapidly becoming standard equipment for so-called ‘engineered’ SUDS solutions, and Hydro International’s Stormbloc® system is used across the UK in residential and highway storm/surface water control. Now Hydro has published an essential user manual and design guide for Stormbloc® which offers specifiers a complete best practice insight into the application of this system.

GOVERNMENT plans to enforce widespread application of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) across England and Wales through the introduction of new national standards have been warmly welcomed by industry experts as the culmination of long years of campaigning. But, warns Alex Stephenson, Director, Stormwater, Hydro International and Chair of the British Water SUDS group, misunderstandings about the nature of sustainable drainage systems, combined with insufficient funding for local authorities to implement the proposals effectively - may pose significant barriers to achieving widespread adoption.

Hydro International has announced that their STH range of Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls has become the first vortex flow control device to be awarded British Board of Agrément certification following a rigorous six month assessment. “Flow control devices that do not meet the specified performance requirements are a liability,” points out Alex Stephenson, Director of Hydro International’s Stormwater operations. “Hydro has sought BBA certification for STH Hydro-Brake® range to combat the problems caused when engineers specify a vortex flow control without understanding the wide variation in performance between different products.

Opened in September 2008, a new 420 pupil primary school, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, has been built in Prestatyn for Denbighshire CC, and is designed for optimum sustainability, including a StormBank® Pro rainwater recycling system from Hydro International. “The StormBank® Pro system recycles rainwater collected from almost 2,500 sq.m. of pitched roof, filters it and pumps it to the pupil and staff toilets, providing an estimated 90% of the flushing needs,” says Neill Hughes, Project Engineer for Denbighshire CC .

NEW powers, announced by the Government, for local authorities to assess and manage local flood risk from all sources, including surface water, and champion sustainable drainage schemes will be ineffective unless they are given sufficient funds and knowledge of SUDS principles to implement real change, leading surface water drainage experts are warning.

The Government is failing to take a lead to ensure the speedy implementation of Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations on flooding following 2007’s disastrous floods, industry experts have warned. In particular it needs to take decisive action to empower local authorities to implement surface water management plans and to resolve once and for all who should be responsible for the control and maintenance of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS).

HYDRO International staff were celebrating a “knockout” achievement as the company’s annual thrills-and-spills team challenge took place – as news came through that their first year’s fundraising has topped more than £22,000 for WaterAid, more than doubling their first year’s fundraising target for the charity. Despite heavy showers and a muddy field following torrential rain the day before, 11 teams of employees, suppliers and business partners battled it out in its second It’s a Knockout event.

Officially opened by HRH the Princess Royal, the Forestry Commission’s newly-built environmental classrooms in Staffordshire are using rainwater recycling equipment from Hydro International for toilet flushing to save on mains water usage. The Birches Valley Forest Centre in Cannock Chase is leading by example with a range of green building features including Hydro International’s StormBank™ rainwater harvesting system, which collects rain from a living sedum roof and stores it for reuse in staff and students’ toilets.

Hydro SUDS ‘n’ Floods Conference Reviews Policy and Practice for UK Flood Risk Strategy Future. HARD QUESTIONS were asked of flooding and drainage planners, policy makers and strategy specialists by the panel of expert speakers assembled by Hydro International at the SUDS ‘n’ Floods Conference in Tewkesbury, 1st July. Chaired by Alastair Moseley, UK Water Sector Director, WSP Group and with the keynote speech delivered by Professor Richard Ashley, who was a member of the Science and Engineering Panel advising Sir Michael Pitt for his final review (published 6 days earlier), the conference pulled no punches and explored new directions for assessing and dealing with flood risk.

Hydro International, the worldwide provider of innovative solutions for control and treatment of stormwater, wastewater and combined sewer overflows, has appointed Kevin Saunders as Group Quality Manager. Kevin’s first commitment is to achieve the ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system across Hydro’s offices in UK, Ireland and the USA.

A FORWARD-looking sustainable drainage solution has helped make the development of 400 much-needed new homes on the South Coast economically viable by using infiltration basins and a wetland pond with Hydro’s Stormbloc® to manage stormwater runoff. With growing demand to meet the UK’s ambitious new homes targets the Bryant Homes Southern Counties, George Wimpey South West Thames and David Wilson Homes development at Eden Park near Littlehampton, provides a national example of how a vision of sustainable drainage can solve the creation of additional impermeable surfaces when freeing up land for development.

A GRUELLING non-stop bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats has raised nearly £15,000 for the charity WaterAid, thanks to courageous cyclists at Hydro International. Ride up Britain, which took place on 15th May, saw four teams of six from Hydro International, including Chief Operating Officer Chris Williams and Stormwater Director Alex Stephenson, battle their way through the 940 mile, non-stop, night and day, challenge.

BRITAIN’S “confused and chaotic” management of surface water drainage must be tackled with a much more ‘joined up’ approach to ownership and responsibility for the drainage infrastructure, led by a strong emphasis on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS). These are conclusions of the parliamentary EFRACOM committee’s Flooding Report (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Flooding Report – May 7).

A GRUELLING non-stop bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats is set to raise more that £4,000 for the charity WaterAid, thanks to courageous cyclists at Hydro International. Four teams of six from Hydro International, including Chief Operating Officer Chris Williams and Stormwater Director Alex Stephenson who are each heading up their own teams, are calling for sponsorship support for the event on May 15th.

Mains water savings of up to 40% and payback in as little as two years are promised by Hydro International’s new StormBank® Pro Advanced Rainwater Harvesting system for commercial and public buildings. StormBank® Pro brings water saving and sustainability within the reach of every building from small offices through to schools, hospitals and care homes. The launch follows the successful introduction of Hydro International’s StormBank™ domestic rainwater harvesting system last year.

SUSTAINABLE COMMERCIAL development has received a boost in North Wales with the installation of Hydro International’s Stormcell® and Hydro-Brake® stormwater control systems on one of the biggest business development projects for many years.

JANUARY’S severe flooding has once again highlighted the weaknesses in Britain’s surface water drainage infrastructure – and the need for a strategic Government commitment to plan and invest to avoid future devastation, experts are warning. The New Year onslaught came with 2007’s summer floods still fresh in the memory – two thirds of which are reported to have been caused by surface water.

HYDRO INTERNATIONAL has made further progress in expanding its innovative water control and treatment business in international markets with the appointment of Chris Williams to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing the Group’s European and USA business divisions.

Redeveloping the Bicester Wyevale Garden Centre, greatly increased the impervious area and stormwater runoff – yet existing discharge limits still had to be met. Increased attenuation storage was required but within a very limited space, so Hydro International’s Stormbloc® modular block storage was specified because it was versatile enough to fit the space constraints with low installation costs. Expansion at the Wyvale Garden Centre has meant a larger, fully asphalted car park, and a rebuilt and more extensive roofed building.

Hydro International’s range of sustainable stormwater drainage and control solutions will be demonstrated on Stand E252 at Ecobuild 2008, 26-28 February Earls Court. New Hydro initiatives for 2008 include innovative sustainable drainage techniques, a wider range of rainwater harvesting solutions, and sustainable solutions to flooding and Water Framework Directive requirements.

RAINWATER recycling should be compulsory in all new buildings to help combat climate change and ease the UK’s water crisis. Despite all the recent rainfall the UK is short of water: Britain has less water available per person than most European countries. With Britain awash from serious summer floods, campaigners are highlighting the terrible waste that recent heavy rain will not be recycled to cut down on mains water usage.