Swale for sustainable drainage helps manage more than 300,000 litres of rainwater at Hampshire school

A £200,000 swale has been installed at Kimpton, Thruxton and Fyfield Church of England Primary School, in Kimpton near Andover to help prevent storm overflows and school closures due to flooding. 

The nature-based solution to manage surface water is part of a joint initiative with the Department of Education and Southern Water called SuDS in Schools, which has seen sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) installed at nearly 100 schools so far. This install has managed over 300,000 litres of rainwater, the equivalent of 3,800 baths, preventing it from overwhelming the sewer system and contributing to storm overflows or pooling to cause floods.  

What does the swale do? 

Swales are low lying or dipped stretches of land used to absorb and manage excess water. As they are lower than the surrounding ground, water collects within them and is naturally absorbed. Water can also be redirected away from problem areas toward a swale. As well as managing excess water to prevent flooding and keeping it away from the sewers to prevent storm overflows, swales also encourage pollinators and boost local biodiversity.  

Will other schools benefit? 

The school is one of almost 100 that have benefitted from the SuDS in School initiative since it was launched in 2022.  

This year more than 50 schools across our region in Hampshire, Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight will benefit from various interventions to reduce on-site flooding and storm overflows. 

The swale has been operating for four months, and was officially unveiled by Andover's MP Kit Malthouse and Southern Water's Chief Executive Lawrence Gosden. 

Lawrence Gosden said: 

"Even in four months since its operation, it has saved over 300,000 litres of water from going into sewage pipes. 

"That is such an incredible thing and a massive volume of water." 

The project is part of the work of Southern Water’s Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force are undertaking to reduce storm overflows. 

Our plans include a record investment of £1.5 billion between 2025 and 2035, focusing on delivering long-term solutions that get to the root cause of storm overflows. We’ve built our proposed plans into an interactive map, visit our Clean Rivers and Seas Plan to find out what we’re doing to reduce storm overflows in your local area.