Project overview
- 32 BluWater Solutions SuDS & BNG planters installed across seven schools.
- Significant opportunity for curriculum-based learning around water and biodiversity.
- Schools are future-proofed against potential surface water flooding.
- Smart sensor technology introduced, allowing real-time monitoring and remote water release for enhanced flood resilience.
- Proactive management of stormwater helps protect local infrastructure.
- Independent recognition for the project, with an International Green Apple Environment Award - highlighting the global significance of this innovative, nature-based approach.
Challenge
With climate change predicted to intensify rainfall patterns, there is an increasing need for schools to educate children about the importance of water resilience and biodiversity, by experiencing tangible solutions.
Overcoming limitations of existing approaches
Existing approaches can present several limitations:
- Lack of flexibility – Passive systems offer no visibility into performance or capacity, and no ability to respond to forecast weather.
- No educational engagement – Typical drainage solutions remain invisible and disconnected from the classroom, missing opportunities to teach pupils about sustainability and climate resilience.
- Costly and disruptive – Traditional drainage upgrades can be expensive and difficult to retrofit into existing school grounds.
Without an innovative, adaptable solution, these schools risked potential flooding and lost opportunities to combine infrastructure with environmental education.
Solution – BluWater Solutions’ smart SuDS technology
Working with the RAIN Project (Resilience and Innovation Northants), led by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) in partnership with North Northamptonshire Council and co-funded by Anglian Water, BluWater Solutions (a BioScapes brand) stepped in with a pioneering nature-based solution. Designing and manufacturing 32 SuDS planters for seven local primary schools, BluWater Solutions delivered what was the largest school-based SuDS installation in the UK.
Rickileigh Edwards, Flood Resilience Project Officer, Flood and Water Team, West Northamptonshire Council, said: “It’s been fantastic to work with so many schools who are so enthusiastic to get on board and have the SUDS planters in their play areas. It’s a great introduction for the students as to what SuDS can look like, and all the added benefits it brings! Thanks to BluWater Solutions for making it all happen.”
DIVE RIGHT IN
Sign up to our newsletter
Intelligent flood management
Central to the innovation was the deployment of BluWater Solutions’ new smart sensor technology, marking one of the first real-world uses of active, data-driven SuDS in a UK school environment.
Each unit:
Captures and stores stormwater by connecting directly to school guttering. Rainfall is filtered naturally through soil and planting, easing pressure on local sewer networks and reducing surface water flooding.
Monitors performance in real time with solar-powered sensors that measure attenuation capacity and water levels.
Enables proactive control through remotely operated valves, accessible via a cloud-based dashboard and mobile app. These valves can be opened ahead of forecast storms, releasing stored water to create extra capacity and “slow the flow” precisely when needed.
This active water management capability represents a significant evolution beyond passive SuDS systems – turning them into smart, responsive infrastructure capable of adapting dynamically to weather events.
“This project shows how sustainable drainage systems can evolve beyond passive water capture. Our smart sensor technology allows schools and local authorities to actively manage water in anticipation of storms - dramatically improving resilience while also delivering biodiversity benefits and hands-on learning. It’s a model for the future of urban water management”, said Daniel Gray, Head of Utilities and Water Management Specialist, BluWater Solutions.
Award-winning innovation
The RAIN Project has subsequently received a prestigious International Green Apple Environment Award in recognition of its pioneering ‘SuDS in Schools’ initiative. Having been selected from over 700 global entries, this recognition underscores the project’s global significance in the future of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).
Continuing the celebrations, the RAIN Project recognised community contributions to local flood resilience, with their own ‘‘Flood & Toast – Resilience & Innovation Community Awards’. At the awards, Oakley Vale Primary School won Gold, Woodland Primary Silver and Wootton Primary Bronze, for their work in educating the children on flood risk and the changing climate, with assemblies, tree planting and the installation of the SuDS planters with engagement sessions from the BioScapes Group.
Added value: biodiversity and learning
While flood mitigation is a primary function, the BluWater Solutions units deliver added environmental and educational benefits:
- Each planter includes 10 integrated wildlife habitats, supporting pollinators, amphibians, and small mammals, and creating mini ecosystems for pupils to observe.
- Real-time water monitoring is being integrated into science lessons, allowing students to track rainfall, water storage, and system performance.
- The schools are also using the planters to grow herbs, vegetables, and pollinator-friendly plants – linking climate resilience to broader sustainability education.