Planning and Architecture

Water Resilient Dundee

June 20, 2025 by planningarchitecture No Comments | Category Planning

Across Scotland, sewer systems in urban environments are being inundated by rainfall from more extreme and frequent rainfall events. In response, Dundee City Council (DCC) has teamed up with Scottish Water to spearhead the ‘Water Resilient Dundee’ partnership.

The Water Resilient Dundee (WRD) partnership aims to jointly plan and sustainably manage water in the city of Dundee to help the city respond to climate change now and for future generations. Scottish Water and DCC recognise the need to develop new ways to manage intense rainfall and stormwater flooding to create future-proofed, flood-resilient communities.

This approach is at the forefront of unlocking sites (especially brownfield) with drainage issues, thus, supporting development delivery, as well as adapting to climate change, securing cumulative benefits of drainage interventions, and providing certainty for stakeholders in the development.

Objectives

‘We can jointly and sustainably manage water in the City of Dundee to help the city to respond to climate change now and for future generations, delivering wider benefits.’ Water Resilient Dundee framing statement  (www.waterresilientdundee.co.uk)

The objectives of Water Resilient Dundee are to work together to:

• reduce the current surface water/out of sewer flood risk in Dundee and its
• surrounding area
• provide resilience to future flood risk
• support growth by freeing up capacity in the existing combined sewer to
• accommodate foul water and surface water (where not feasible to connect to the water environment) connections from new development
• assist with achieving the Scottish Government target of becoming carbon neutral by 2045
• reduce the frequency of combined sewer overflow spills to the environment to reduce pollution risk

Drainage Strategies

An overall drainage strategy for the City, as well as detailed district strategies are being developed by the Partnership through an exercise in mapping out the existing and new drainage opportunities for the whole city.

The City Districts, sixty in total, each have a preferred conveyance route to manage flows towards or directly to the water environment. Drainage strategies consider ways of disconnecting natural watercourses from the drainage system and using them to convey water above ground to the Tay.

New blue green drainage systems above ground have the potential for storage, treatment, and conveyance of surface water generated by new development.

The Partnership’s intention is to ensure drainage work enhances rather than impacts the natural environment.

Case studies

• Former Baldragon Academy Development site Planning brief:

Joint working to create an exemplar site in relation to surface water management. St Mary’s Drainage Strategy sets out a surface water conveyance route, incorporating blue and green infrastructure.

• Douglas Park and Strategy:

Douglas Park presents an opportunity to provide a route for surface water generated by new DCC Housing site at Balcairn Place.

Sum up

Scottish Government have been working with stakeholders, including Scottish Water and Dundee City Council, to explore solutions for unlocking stalled sites.

Proactive partnership working, coming together regularly to discuss both strategic and site level issues is an effective method to unlock sites for development and result in better outcomes, including for places and the environment.

Other authorities may draw valuable lessons from this strategic approach to drainage solutions.  We will continue to monitor this joint working as it progresses.

For more information: Water Resilient Dundee – Water Resilient Dundee

Tags: Dundee City Council, Scottish Water, Water Resilient Dundee

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