Drainage and Sewer Networks

Dear Colleagues,

Traditional drainage and sewerage have served developed societies for millennia in maintaining public health, welfare and security. Yet, newly realised problems are challenging the efficacy of using the carbon-hungry, resource intensive and single solution infrastructure that traditional drainage and sewerage systems are comprised of. Growing knowledge about the climate and other impacts from using traditional systems, are coupled with the understanding that instead we need to use multifunctional infrastructure comprising more nature-based (e.g. blue-green infrastructure, BGI) systems. These can provide significant added benefits, together with lesser impacts. However, there are several difficulties with switching from structurally based drainage systems to those more sympathetic to nature. For example: (a) the design standards and performance of the various systems differ, as most traditional infrastructure provides only a single function compared with BGI’s multiple functioning; (b) BGI typically take up land space as these are mainly surface based systems, unlike buried piped systems, and hence may represent a more significant opportunity-loss; (c) there is a lack of experience with BGI systems compared with traditional systems, especially for long term functioning, asset management and maintenance needs, and cost data are often uncertain; (d) there is a lack of clarity about responsibilities in the longer term, especially for BGI; (e) databases for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are well developed for traditional infrastructure systems but not for BGI, and the functional units used for the assessments will also differ; (f) there are no standard metrics for assessing the various aspects and value of the multi-functions of BGI systems. These, and other factors make the direct comparison of the relative benefits of using a traditional infrastructure option with a BGI option problematic. Hence, many professionals find it difficult to accept the perceived added risks inherent in using nature-based systems instead of traditional.

This special edition is looking for papers that address this new perspective, but also papers that demonstrate where there is still a need to use traditional drainage and sewerage systems for one reason or another. Although papers on computational modelling are acceptable, this special edition is more interested in the practical applications in terms of asset management, changes in practice, governance and community implications, where community includes professionals as well as local people.

Prof. Dr. Richard M. Ashley
Dr. Jeroen G. Langeveld
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Infrastructures is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Drainage
• Sewers
• Wastewater
• Multiple benefits
• Nature based
• Economics
• Sustainability
• Community
• Professional practice
• Asset management