Secretaria Distrital de Ambiente Bogotá
The Pitch
Bogotá’s Secretariat of the Environment developed and implemented the Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) project, which enables groundwater infiltration to occur. By restoring natural hydrological systems, the city mitigated flooding and water pollution.
The Problem
A lack of drainage outlets paired with an abundance of grey infrastructure and impermeable surfaces caused frequent and intense flooding in Bogotá. As a result, polluted runoff entered Bogotá’s waterways and drinking water systems.
The Process
- Piloted a new drainage system by redesigning San Cristobal Park to be a concave shape that can store 188 cubic meters of water per rain event
- Developed various typologies of SUDS and conducted research to create a SUDS Technical Guide for Bogotá
- Designed 11 SUDS (with plans for 224 more) that work well in Bogotá’s specific environment and hydrological regime
- Added more permeable surfaces to the city
The Impact
- Reduces costs: SUDS are cheaper to construct than gray infrastructure water management systems
- Provides new business and job opportunities for contractors
- Maintains biodiversity by adding greenery (which subsequently creates new habitats) and restoring the natural ecological conditions of an area
- Serves a dual function as enjoyable green spaces for people
- Prevents rainwater and wastewater from mixing, reducing contamination and saving costs for wastewater treatment plants and the government
- Altered the perception of runoff: Rainwater runoff is now perceived positively as a resource for irrigation, sanitation and aquifer recharge
- Encouraged local and national governments to incorporate SUDS into laws and resolutions to uniformly regulate the use of this type of infrastructure and increase their use across Colombia
