Sleaty Park View sustainable drainage project

The residents association in Sleaty Park View secured funding from the Local Authority Water Programme (LAW Pro) to install planters with sustainable drainage features incorporated.
Sleaty Part View is near the confluence of two rivers, the Burrin and the Barrow. Therefore, the water table in the area is high and prior to mitigation works, would have historically been in a flood zone.

Carlow County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029 identifies Carlow town as the decarbonisation zone for the county. Under the action plan, rainwater harvesting has been identified as eligible for grant funding under the Climate Action Programme. Carlow town has been investing in the removal of areas of hard surfacing throughout the town. These areas have been replaced with planted bioswales, purifying the water, reducing the amount and slowing the transition of surface water run off to the piped drainage system.

The planters at Sleaty Park View therefore align with the County Council’s Climate Action Plan and are an achievable and effective retrofit option for the harvesting rain water and creating Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The planters work in a very simple way. The rainwater from the roof is diverted into the planters. The planters are divided into two sections. The lower part of the planter is a rainwater storage tank. The upper section is a planter containing a free draining growing medium. A thick landscape fabric separates the two spaces and prevents the soil from entering the water storage area.
The landscape fabric acts like a wick, ensuring the rainwater remains accessible to the plants during drier weather.

The plant selection for these planters must be able to deal with occasional inundation and drought.

The five planters installed at Sleaty Park View have redirected the rainwater run-off from six houses. Slowing the progress of surface water into the piped drainage system is key to minimising risk of flooding.

It may seem like a very small intervention but if replicated it can have a hugely positive impact on our environment.