A water containment module, comprising: a) a water retaining layer comprising (a-1) a substantially planar scaffold, having a continuous or discontinuous top surface, a continuous or discontinuous bottom surface, spacing members extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, a height of 2.54 mm to 101.6 cm as measured from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a top surface area of 100 to 15,000 cm 2, the scaffold having top surface voids, bottom surface voids and internal voids that together define multiple fluid paths from and through the top surface to and through the bottom surface, a top surface void area of at least 25%, a bottom surface void area of at least 25%, an internal void volume of at least 50% and up to 96%, multiple apertures having areas of at least 25 mm 2 on at least one side, a void area of at least 25% on said at least one side, and a compressive strength of at least 50 kN/m 2 and (a-2) a hydrophilic flexible polymer foam having a dry foam density of 48 to 240 kg/m 3 filling the internal void area of the substantially planar scaffold and extending at least to external surfaces of the spacing members of the substantially planar scaffold; b) a drainage layer including weight-bearing members extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the water retaining layer, the drainage layer having a height of 0.508 to 10.16 cm and a void volume of at least 50%, the drainage layer being further characterized in that the weight-bearing members define multiple flow paths for the movement of a fluid flowing downward from the water-retaining layer to and out of side surfaces and/or the bottom surface of the drainage layer. a) a water retaining layer comprising (a-1) a substantially planar scaffold, having a continuous or discontinuous top surface, a continuous or discontinuous bottom surface, spacing members extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, a height of 2.54 mm to 101.6 cm as measured from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a top surface area of 100 to 15,000 cm 2, the scaffold having top surface voids, bottom surface voids and internal voids that together define multiple fluid paths from and through the top surface to and through the bottom surface, a top surface void area of at least 25%, a bottom surface void area of at least 25%, an internal void volume of at least 50% and up to 96%, multiple apertures having areas of at least 25 mm 2 on at least one side, a void area of at least 25% on said at least one side, and a compressive strength of at least 50 kN/m 2 and (a-2) a hydrophilic flexible polymer foam having a dry foam density of 48 to 240 kg/m 3 filling the internal void area of the substantially planar scaffold and extending at least to external surfaces of the spacing members of the substantially planar scaffold; b) a drainage layer including weight-bearing members extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the water retaining layer, the drainage layer having a height of 0.508 to 10.16 cm and a void volume of at least 50%, the drainage layer being further characterized in that the weight-bearing members define multiple flow paths for the movement of a fluid flowing downward from the water-retaining layer to and out of side surfaces and/or the bottom surface of the drainage layer.