Schools are ideal locations for sustainable drainage systems as part of flood and storm overflow reduction strategies, says Lorna Davis, director, SuDSPlanter Ltd, who details a recent community partnership with Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water has partnered with sustainable drainage and engineering specialist SuDSPlanter® to install rainwater planters in 15 schools and one urban farm. A total of 49 specialised planters were installed in towns and cities across Yorkshire, including Leeds, Rotherham and Doncaster, in March 2025.
SuDSPlanter systems are designed to capture rainwater run-off from roofs by rerouting the downpipe into the planters instead of directly into the drains. The water is held in the SuDSPlanter unit within the storage area and the soil and taken up by the plants. This is then slowly released back into drains, reducing the risk of sewers becoming overwhelmed during inclement weather.
Each planter comprises a series of layers, acting as both a sponge and a natural filter, attenuating flow and removing sediment as the water soaks through to a reservoir below. Specially formulated soil mixes provide the optimum environment for supporting healthy plants and holding water.
Low maintenance and hard-wearing, the planters also store excess water to keep plants thriving during dry spells. They are made of 100% sustainable and recyclable materials, with SuDSPlanter working closely with partners and suppliers to achieve a fully circular economy.
The SuDSPlanter team comprises surface water management and engineering specialists who carry out in-depth consultation with partners, to identify how a network of planters can protect sewers and prevent flooding.
Climate challenge
Climate change is bringing unpredictable weather patterns, with both drought and floods occurring more frequently and intensely. In many areas, urban development and concrete surfaces have replaced natural, absorbent landscapes. As a result, rainwater run-off is reaching sewers faster and in greater volumes, increasing risk of floods, pollution and combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges.
Schools can be particularly prone to flooding, due to their extensive hard-surfaced areas, such as playgrounds, sports pitches and car parks. In 2021, the UK government warned that nearly 15,000 schools would be at significant risk from flooding by 2050 due to anticipated climate change impacts.
Water companies must reduce CSO spills in the 2025-2030 asset management plan (AMP8) period. The regulatory expectations of AMP8 place strong emphasis on nature-based solutions, as well as community engagement and climate resilience – making schools ideal partners for sustainable drainage projects.
Spill reduction
As part of its Storm Spill Reduction Programme, Yorkshire Water provided free stormwater planter systems to 15 primary schools and one city farm, in areas where wider flood alleviation measures were undertaken.
SuDSPlanter was chosen as the equipment provider, building on successful partnerships with schools, local authorities and utilities across the UK. To kickstart the project, planning meetings were held with SuDSPlanter and Yorkshire Water’s project team and contractor J N Bentley Ltd. SuDSPlanter coordinated site surveys, deliveries, installations and planting at each location.
Product type, size and system designs were tailored for individual sites, based on the square-meterage of each roof and the calculated volumes of rainwater expected to drain into the system. Each system was bespoke in design, comprising between one and five planters. Additional creative components such as cloud trays, cascade features and watering cans were also provided.
Installations took place over four weeks in March 2025, generally taking between one and two days per site, followed by one day for education engagement and planting.
SuDSPlanter’s in-house landscaping experts have created an inventory of suitable plants for school planter systems. In Yorkshire, plants were selected depending on site location and aspect. In addition, each school received a key stage 1-4 education pack and plant maintenance handbook, developed by SuDSPlanter’s environmental specialists.
Now fully connected and in operation, the 49 planters can capture a total of 18,700 litres of rain – a significant volume to be kept out of the sewers during storms. Not only has this reduced the risk of localised flooding, pollution and CSO spills, new wildlife habitats have also been created in each of the 16 locations.
Outdoor learning
The green spaces and enhanced biodiversity have potential to positively impact the health and wellbeing of users, encourage physical activity and enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors. They also provide a new space for outdoor lessons, gardening and eco clubs.
The provision of educational resources supports learning in topics such as the water cycle, water-saving, weather and climate change, gardening, growing and caring for the natural world.
Alex Stephenson, SuDSPlanter director, said: “It was a pleasure partnering with Yorkshire Water for this rewarding project, which gave us the opportunity to work with lovely schools and an urban farm, and help develop children’s understanding of water, biodiversity and climate.
“For Yorkshire Water, sustainable drainage in schools will help them achieve their key goal of reducing flood risk and CSO discharges, while delivering community benefits. We hope this collaborative approach will be rolled out at a larger scale throughout AMP8, to support use of nature-based solutions to enhance water quality and build resilience.”
Omair Khan, lead project manager, storm spill reduction programme, at Yorkshire Water said: “The SuDSPlanter schools’ collaboration is a fantastic project which will have long-term benefits for all partners and the environment.
“By capturing stormwater, the planters are not only reducing localised flood risk, they’re helping build resilience to dry spells in the summer months by storing water, then slowly releasing it into the soil when needed.
“I’d like to thank each school and the urban farm for participating in the scheme – they should take pride in helping to prevent flooding and protect their local environment.
“Since 2023, we’ve invested £180 million to reduce discharges from storm overflows across the whole of Yorkshire. Partnerships with specialists such as SuDSPlanter are key to achieving our goals.”
Adam Ogilvie, chief executive, Meanwood Urban Farm, Leeds, said: “The SuDSPlanters provide the potential for a learning tool when teaching our outdoor, nature-based learning activities to 3,000 – 4,000 children per year”.
Children from Oakworth Primary School said: “We like the planters because they make the school more colourful, vibrant and it helps the environment, plus they smell nice. Having plants can attract wildlife which helps to pollenate other plants in our gardens”.
Children from Bankside Primary School, Leeds, said: ““We like the way the SuDSPlanter looks and having something that we can look after and learn how to grow plants in our own playground”.
Children from Lindhead School, Scarborough, said: “We like having our own ‘special drainage system’ which is helping to stop the playground flooding and looks really beautiful”.
