ISO 24536:2019

Overview

ISO 24536:2019 provides guidance for stormwater management in urban areas, addressing both structural and non‑structural stormwater management approaches. The standard is aimed at stormwater management authorities and stakeholders involved in planning, design, implementation and performance evaluation of stormwater sewer systems and combined storm/sanitary sewers. It applies to new systems and to extensions or improvements of existing systems, but is explicitly not applicable to sanitary sewer systems alone.

Key Topics and Technical Requirements

ISO 24536:2019 structures guidance across the full stormwater lifecycle. Key technical topics include:

• Principles and basic concepts for urban stormwater management and system planning.
• Functional and performance requirements covering flood protection, protection of receiving waters and groundwater, maintainability, structural integrity, and health & safety.
• Design criteria: hydraulic design (including full‑pipe and flooding criteria), environmental and structural design, O&M design considerations, and amenity/biodiversity criteria.
• Investigation and assessment procedures: hydrology selection, hydraulic investigation, environmental and structural assessments, and performance gap analysis.
• Planning and solutions: system components for quantity and quality control, asset‑related solutions (stormwater networks, sustainable drainage systems), non‑asset solutions (demand control, resilience, emergency response), and ICT use for operations.
• Implementation & evaluation: guidance on implementation processes and performance evaluation to ensure design objectives are met.

The standard emphasizes sustainable use of materials and energy, prevention of pollution and nuisance (odour, noise, gas emissions), and protection of downstream systems and adjacent infrastructure.

Practical Applications

ISO 24536:2019 supports practical applications such as:

• Designing and upgrading urban stormwater sewer networks and combined sewers.
• Integrating Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) or low-impact development (LID) into urban planning.
• Developing flood risk mitigation strategies and emergency preparedness for urban catchments.
• Setting performance metrics for operation and maintenance (O&M) and long‑term asset management.
• Assessing environmental impacts on receiving waters and groundwater from urban runoff.

Keywords: stormwater management, urban areas, stormwater sewer systems, combined sewer systems, hydraulic design, sustainable drainage systems, flood protection, water quality, asset management.

Who Should Use This Standard

• Municipal stormwater authorities and utilities
• Urban planners and civil/environmental engineers
• Consultancy firms and design teams working on drainage, flood risk and SuDS projects
• Regulatory and environmental agencies involved in urban water management

Related Standards

ISO 24536:2019 complements other ISO guidance and national standards covering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater service activities, and should be used alongside local regulations and best‑practice guidance for urban drainage and environmental protection.