The urban water cycle approach in small development areas

Abstract

Water cycle studies have been undertaken in several regional growth points in the UK as a strategic basis to support development planning in terms of assessing the adequacy of the existing water resource infrastructure. In this paper the application of the water cycle approach to the assessment of water and drainage availability for smaller site-based urban developments is evaluated, with an emphasis on the role of the storm-water component. A 170 ha urban regeneration site in the city of Birmingham, UK, is used to illustrate the process by identifying the principal water resource constraints, water usage rates and drainage issues associated with the development proposal. The scaled-down urban water cycle approach provides a valuable initial scoping of the development constraints and opportunities associated with water availability and drainage infrastructure provision. The analysis identifies the positive contributions that the storm-water component can make to other water resource functions and to reducing overall demands for water.