The terms Sustainable Drainage and SuDS are relatively new but the concepts and ideals that underpin the principles are as old as the management of surface water drainage itself.

The following are a few examples of SuDS through the ages that I have found, and there are many others.

Rainwater Harvesting in 15th Century Venice

Venice is located within a salt water lake and had no freshwater readily available. So, since the 400’s rainwater has been collected from roofs and stored in large below ground chambers accessed by well heads. Many of these are dotted around the city today.