News

10Nov

CIRIA scoops WaPUG Prize

CIRIA is thrilled to receive the 2017 WaPUG Prize, awarded by CIWEM's Urban Drainage Group which recognises an individual or team who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of urban drainage.

Last night, Paul Shaffer from CIRIA (left) collected the award on behalf of CIRIA’s SuDS team, who have been recognised for their work promoting good practice, delivery and innovation in SuDS.

Elliot Gill, CIWEM urban drainage group chair, said; “The 2017 WaPUG Prize is awarded to CIRIA for its work in enabling and encouraging the uptake of SuDS in the United Kingdom. CIRIA’s work has very much been under the leadership of Paul Shaffer and I’m delighted that Paul has travelled to Blackpool tonight to receive the award. Paul will be first to acknowledge that this is a team effort from colleagues at CIRIA, project steering group members and contractors from across the industry.

We on the adjudicating panel considered CIRIA a worthy winner of the WaPUG Prize. When we see SuDS in our cities, parks and streets they are highly likely to have been inspired, influenced and directed by the work of CIRIA”

Paul Shaffer, Associate, CIRIA commented; “I am delighted to pick up this award on behalf of CIRIA and the SuDS team. Since I’ve been at CIRIA we’ve found the funds to deliver over 35 projects, many of these collaborative and related to SuDS and local flood risk management. We’ve worked with well over 300 hundred project steering group members and maybe 70 or so funders.

Delivering guidance and support is really about the people, and we’ve worked and work with some great people on delivering better places and spaces for people and communities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have been involved with CIRIA and our work for without them this award would not be possible. Looking forward, CIRIA will continue to look at surface water as an opportunity and not a problem and we will continue to try and bring other disciplines into urban drainage.”

CIRIA’s good practice SuDS guidance began in 2000 with the Best Practice Manual for SuDS followed by the SuDS Manual (C697) (2007) and the updated SuDS Manual (C753) (2015). Other important and influential publications have been: Planning for SuDS (C687)(2010), Retrofitting to manage surface water (C713) (2012) and the ‘B£ST’ - Benefits of SuDS Tool. All of this has been supported by susdrain (www.susdrain.org) to support and disseminate good practice.