Our towns and cities are at risk from flooding. In built-up areas, surface water collects quickly and can overflow drains. To put it plainly, the places we live just aren’t as ‘spongy’ as we’d like. So we’re turning to nature to help, and in a UK first we’re transforming a whole town to make it more flood resilient.
Mansfield
The greening of Mansfield
We’re investing £76 million in Mansfield on a range of nature-based solutions to protect communities from flooding.
Working alongside Mansfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, this is the largest project of its kind ever to be attempted in the country.
When it’s complete, the scheme will be able to store over 30 million litres of surface water – that’s about 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In real terms this means reduced flood risk for 90,000 people and the creation of 390 jobs locally, too.
We think it’ll be the blueprint for how we manage flooding in the future. And at the same time, it makes Mansfield an even fresher, greener place to live for our customers and communities.
Say hello to SuDS
SuDS are Sustainable Drainage Systems, Severn Trent have been working in Mansfield Since 2022 and will continue until April 2025 installing more than 340 of them across Mansfield.
They work by diverting surface water away from sewers, slowing it down and helping our drains to cope.
The great thing about SuDS is that they combine some of the latest water drainage technology with Mother Nature.
So at the same time as reducing flood risk, they cut pollution and bring more plant and animal species into the places where we live.
What we're doing in Mansfield
How you can get involved
It’s easy to install sustainable drainage. You can play a part in this unique project that will help put Mansfield on the map.
We want to support local schools, businesses, and community groups to adopt and install sustainable drainage.
You can make a huge difference too, whether it’s installing planters in the school playground or creating your own drainpipe garden at home. Make an even bigger impact and consider permeable paving if you’re planning a new driveway.
And you don’t have to live in Mansfield to reduce your own flood risk!
Find out more about this fascinating project and drop the team a message at mansfieldsuds@severntrent.co.uk.