There is a clear trend in the world to increase the use of sustainable drainage systems. In Poland, it is not as much noticeable, and as a consequence, the conventional stormwater system remains the most common method of stormwater management. As part of the research, an assessment of the issues affecting the implementation of sustainable stormwater management systems in an engineering practices was performed. For that purpose the PESTLE analysis was applied. Its results indicate that legal factors are the key for the development of sustainable drainage systems in Poland. The scale of public support and availability of funding is also not without importance. The possibilities of the implementation growth of sustainable drainage systems should be sought in changes in legal regulations regarding stormwater management, while ensuring at the same time an appropriate level of financing for sustainable solutions. In the second stage of the research, stormwater management models used in Poland were identified. The strengths and weaknesses of these models were presented. There were also discussed the potential opportunities and threats associated with their implementation. The balances of positive and negative sides that were created through a SWOT analysis could be treated as the basis for the detailed analyses of the legitimate application of individual systems in specific areas. It is expected that the results of the research will allow formulating clear principles of an innovation policy in the field of stormwater management and appointing objective and transparent criteria for financing individual types of drainage investments. Display omitted •Key issues impacting stormwater management were identified using PESTLE analysis.•Strengths and weaknesses of stormwater systems were defined by SWOT analysis.•Opportunities and threats of stormwater systems were defined by SWOT analysis.•Legal factors are very significant for sustainable systems development.