Representatives from Thames Water to explain future plans
Representatives from Thames Water expected to provide an update on their short and longer term proposals to improve the Counters Creek sewer at a meeting on Monday, November 22.
Water utility bosses faced complaints from the residents of Askew Road, Boscombe Road, Greyhound Road and Hammersmith Grove at a similar meeting last year. Some residents have been flooded up to four times since 2004 but Thames Water says they understand residents’ concerns.
The Counters Creek sewer catchment covers much of the borough and following the complaints, Thames Water approached water regulator Ofwat for funding to increase the capacity of the sewers and reduce flooding in the area.
Bob Collington, Director of Operational Management for Thames Water, said: “We’re desperate to end the misery of sewer flooding, which is a truly horrible experience. We have yet to get the approval of our economic regulator Ofwat for building a larger Counter's Creek sewer system, but the £25million of funding we've been allowed by Ofwat for the next five years will enable us to provide a short-term fix for the worst-affected properties while we design the long-term solution.”
Thames Water wrote to 600 residents who are most at risk of basement sewer flooding to offer free anti-flooding devices earlier this year.
The devices, which are free and take about ten days to install, prevent sewage ‘back-surging’ into basements in times of heavy rain and allow the property’s sewage to flow properly into the sewer network.
The anti-flooding devices are the short-term measure to minimise basement flooding in the borough. In the longer-term, Thames Water needs to build new sewers to increase the capacity of the Counters Creek network which covers much of the borough's sewer system.
Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Environment, says: “Basement sewer flooding is a real and present danger for home-owners in low-lying properties in our borough. For many residents these anti-flooding devices will reduce the fear of basement sewer flooding but take-up is not as good as it could be.
"I would encourage any resident who has been affected by basement flooding to come along to the public meeting and find out more about the solutions.”
Thames Water’s public meeting starts at 7:00pm on Monday, November 22 and takes place in the Small Hall at Hammersmith Town Hall.
November 11, 2010
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