The
pioneering project, which is the first time this technology has been used in
this manner in the UK, catches, cleans and diverts over 40,000 square meters of
rainwater run-off directly into the River Taff, instead of pumping it over
eight kilometres through the Vale of Glamorgan for treatment, before being
pumped into the sea.
The
scheme collects surface water from roofs and roads from twelve residential
streets in Grangetown, channelling and filtering it through over 100 rain
gardens before draining to the river Taff.
Plants
and trees soak up the water in rain gardens, and the water is filtered through
the soil and the roots which catch and break down the pollutants.
Specific
types of trees and plants which are mostly native to Wales and all UK sourced,
have been chosen to fit a number of criteria. They are durable, require little
maintenance, are pollutant tolerant and have the ability to adapt to very wet
or dry conditions.
Greener
Grangetown is a joint venture delivered by Cardiff Council; Dwr Cymru Welsh
Water; Natural Resources Wales; Arup; ERH Communications and Civil Engineering
Ltd with additional financial support from the Landfill Communities Fund.
Cllr
Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets and Recycling, said:
"This is an innovative project which deserves this prestigious award.
"It
appears that many people don't fully understand what the Greener Grangetown
scheme is all about. As well as using pioneering technology to remove rainwater
from our sewer systems, the scheme has visually improved the area. 130 new
trees have been planted, as well as 1,700 square meters of new green space. In
time, as the plants and trees grow and spread, Grangetown will be even greener
that it is now.
"Taff
Embankment, which is part of the scheme, is also part of the Taff Trail and we
are now in the final stages of completing this as a new bicycle priority street
which will be over 500 meters long, connecting Cardiff Bay to the city centre.
As well as this initiative, improvements have also been made to vehicle,
pedestrian and cyclist safety at 14 road junctions which are part of the
scheme.
"I
would like to thank all the partners involved for delivering this project. I
would also like to thank the local residents for their patience while the
scheme has been built."
Fergus
O'Brien, Welsh Water's wastewater strategy manager said, "Sustainable
drainage plays a vital role in Welsh Water's long term approach to protecting
our customers and improving the environment in spite of the growing pressures
from climate change and urbanisation. It does
this by enhancing the inherent resilience of our assets and allowing them to
cope with the increasing variability of the demands we make on them.
"To meet
our ambitious plans between now and 2050 we need to work in partnership with
stakeholders to share knowledge and invest in areas where our priorities
overlap. Greener Grangetown
project is a great example of how we can work with forward thinking councils
like Cardiff and we hope this will be the first of many such
partnerships."
Martyn Evans,
Senior Policy Advisor for Natural Resources Wales, said:
"We're so
pleased to have worked on such an innovative and forward-thinking project like
Greener Grangetown.This exciting scheme
shows a different approach to managing our natural resources - one that looks
at the whole picture rather than focusing on single solutions or individual
parts of our environment.
"Not only
will this scheme help to create a healthy and resilient local environment, but
it will support economic and social prosperity for generations to come.
"We've
been on board with this project since the beginning and we're thrilled that the
project is being recognised with this fantastic award. It's a brilliant example
of how organisations can work together to deliver a positive aim, and we hope
this type of scheme can be used in many other areas of Wales."