Liverpool to become ‘spongier’ under £30M climate resilience programme

Liverpool is set to embrace a new approach to managing rainfall and flood risk after United Utilities unveiled a £30 million investment programme designed to make the city more resilient to extreme weather.

The initiative will introduce a range of nature-based and sustainable drainage measures across the city region by 2030, with the aim of capturing rainwater where it falls rather than relying solely on traditional drainage infrastructure.

Plans include the creation of rain gardens, green roofs, urban wetlands and redesigned playgrounds that can absorb and store water during heavy rainfall events. The approach is based on internationally recognised "sponge city" principles already adopted in cities such as New York and Shanghai.

United Utilities says the programme will help reduce pressure on the sewer network, lower flood risk and improve water quality by slowing the flow of surface water into combined drainage systems.

The announcement was made during the Flood and Coast Conference in Liverpool, where the utility outlined its vision for adapting urban areas to the growing challenges posed by climate change.

United Utilities Chief Executive Louise Beardmore said:

“To tackle the challenges of climate change, we need to make our urban areas more spongy.

“We recognise the value of water as a resource and the importance of working with rainfall and runoff, rather than against it, slowing the flow, reducing flooding, and creating greener, more resilient places for our communities.”

The investment builds on wider efforts across the Liverpool City Region to address flooding, improve river health and reduce sewage discharges into waterways.

Approximately 85 per cent of Merseyside's sewer network operates as a combined system, meaning rainfall and wastewater share the same pipes. During periods of intense rainfall, this can place significant pressure on infrastructure and increase reliance on storm overflows.

By managing rainwater closer to where it lands, the programme aims to reduce these pressures while creating greener public spaces and delivering wider environmental benefits.

Beardmore added:

“With more intense rainfall, we need to manage rain where it falls. If we can do that, we can protect rivers, reduce flood risk and create places that people are proud to live in.

“This investment marks an important step in shaping a more resilient future for Liverpool and the wider city region.”

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram welcomed the initiative, highlighting its role in supporting wider ambitions to improve water quality and tackle climate-related challenges.

“I made a commitment to make the River Mersey free from untreated sewage discharges by 2030, and last year we brought together United Utilities and the Mersey Rivers Trust to agree a joint plan to help make that happen,” he said.

“Cleaning up our waterways will need all of us to play our part, so it’s encouraging to see that partnership translating into investment that reduces pressure on the sewer network, improves water quality and helps mitigate against the impact of climate change.”

Alongside the city-wide programme, United Utilities is already delivering local projects including a £536,000 flood reduction scheme at Alder Hey Hospital, where rainwater is being diverted away from the combined sewer network.

The company has also distributed hundreds of water-saving planters capable of storing rainwater for reuse by households, while partnerships with organisations such as Liverpool ONE are helping introduce additional green infrastructure into the urban environment.

Schools are also playing a role in the transformation. Through United Utilities’ Future Leaders of Water programme, around a third of Liverpool’s schools identified as being at flood risk have already been made greener and more resilient, with plans to expand the initiative to a further 100 schools.

The programme reflects a growing shift within the water and infrastructure sectors towards nature-based solutions that work alongside the environment to address flooding, climate resilience and urban sustainability challenges.