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. <EOS>