Heated conversation about floodwater

[glasshouse]

First time in 23 years I’ve 2in water in workshop pit due to water table presumably!!!!!

2001 last time?

 

[HatsOff]

All well and good but soakaways are of no use in clay areas. I don't know if you've seen the programmes about the london sewers of which there have been many but there was originally surface water drainage to the river but no sewage provision (just sh*t in a pan and throw it out the window) but when flushing toilets were fitted in houses they connected them to the surface water drains. These were then adopted as the sewers when they realised it all going in the river was not a great idea and needed to do something better. Trouble is this combined system i assume was copied all over the country.
We'd be better off with some separate surface water and sewage drains in a lot of areas.

If a soakaway won't work then attenuation is used - this can be underground tanks or a pond, but the outfall has a flow limiter or weir on it. This approach has been around since the 80s but only became mandatory in 2010. Fundamental idea is that new development cannot increase the runoff rate from the site compared to the situation before (or to a green field in some situations), so the development can't make flooding worse.

Having split drainage systems (foul, surface and highway) has been since the 50s.

Water saving is a nice idea but because water is so abundant here, there's no real push to do it in the UK.

Obviously no need to retrospectively apply these new ideas and in urban areas (where the problem really is), it's fantastically expensive to make changes to the drains.

 

[Dry Rot]

First time in 23 years I’ve 2in water in workshop pit due to water table presumably!!!!!

It can sometimes be difficult to work out where water comes from. I have a wet patch in one field with deep ditches either side. I can only guess the water comes from a bank higher up, the other side of a ditch, and then syphons up the wrong side of both ditches due to the water table, if you can follow that! It takes some believing, but water tables can do that.

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Difficult to get Duncans here , Kev the Rev has one though , few more and better back up in Ireland i believe.

I sold mine, yes there are moments of regret.

 

[quattro]

It can sometimes be difficult to work out where water comes from. I have a wet patch in one field with deep ditches either side. I can only guess the water comes from a bank higher up, the other side of a ditch, and then syphons up the wrong side of both ditches due to the water table, if you can follow that! It takes some believing, but water tables can do that.

I know there’s always a surprise to be had when draining

 

[Cab-over Pete]

And that’s usually the cost….

 

[Werzle]

Good letter/article in the powys county times about the EA and flooding from a chap called emyr, questioning why the dams built to hold water and ease flooding are full before the winter deluge even starts.

 

[Top Tip.]

Climate change is a certainty. Always has been, always will be, regardless of what we do.

Very true the problem is that there’s folk out there that have monetised it.

 

[renewablejohn]

Good letter/article in the powys county times about the EA and flooding from a chap called emyr, questioning why the dams built to hold water and ease flooding are full before the winter deluge even starts.

We had this in Lancashire with massive flooding caused due to the reservoirs all being full despite heavy rains forecast days in advance. United Utilities where cruxified in respect of their actions and I believe the policy is now changed so that normal running capacity is 75% allowing 25% for surge capacity. With the number of reservoirs in Lamcashire flooding should never be a problem.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

So to summarise in farmer's terms;

1) dredge the rivers, ditches etc, starting from the sea working up hill.
2) when it starts to rain or heavy rain is predicted, open all sluices, locks, pumps etc to get water away and ‘get ahead’
3) avoid building on flood plains.

 

[Spencer]

3) avoid building on flood plains.

Its almost funny when you see it written down, probably not so much for the people who bought a house on one though...

 

[Raider112]

Perhaps someone could help me..
The gutters on my house are full of crap so wondering which grip adhesive is best to stick side extensions to them the keep the water in, it keeps spilling out

Just put some sponges on the roof to slow the flow into the gutters and some water troughs underneath to catch the overflow.

A bloke called Dave from the EA advised it.

 

[s line]

Just put some sponges on the roof to slow the flow into the gutters and some water troughs underneath to catch the overflow.

A bloke called Dave from the EA advised it.

Dave throup?

 

[Raider112]

Dave throup?

Could be

 

[s line]

Could be

I have had some good arguments with him on twitter. It gets very heated on there.

 

[spanners and hammers]

out and about yesterday i see the council have cleared out a dyke made a nice job all slumped out trees cleared .. then levelled the spoil on the verge so it is now 18 inches higher than the road .But have not put any drainage channels to let the road drain to the dyke !!!

 

[renewablejohn]

So to summarise in farmer's terms;

1) dredge the rivers, ditches etc, starting from the sea working up hill.
2) when it starts to rain or heavy rain is predicted, open all sluices, locks, pumps etc to get water away and ‘get ahead’
3) avoid building on flood plains.

Would add to that all major tidal rivers to have "thames barrier" type systems installed to be raised when rivers are high so that rivers do not have to compete with tidal flow. Whilst building the barriers would be handy to incorporate power generation. River Severn alone would generate more than Drax output was at its peak (ie 5% of UK demand)