Back to projects

COULD THIS FLOODING HAVE BEEN AVOIDED?

As part of our newly launched Asset Management department, the owner of a site was contacted by our in-house Client Asset Manager, Karlie Dowding following a review of a previous survey.

Karlie’s role involves reviewing previous surveys and highlighting where any critical maintenance or repair work has not been completed, and informing the relevant person.

As we head into the winter months, efficiency and operational reliability becomes the most important aspect of the drainage system as it is the winter months when they are most heavily relied upon and any issues can have significant consequences.  

Addressing Previous Findings

Upon reviewing previous reports, a site in the East Midlands regions stood out as our initial survey had been completed in 2022, and to our knowledge, none of the recommended repairs and maintenance work had been completed. The site was also noted as being prone to flooding. 

Our survey found a number of blockages and accumulations of silt and debris, in addition to broken pipes and root ingress. All potential causes of flooding. The maintenance on the oil interceptors was also found to be overdue.

Our recommendations included de-silting work, in addition to cutting the roots and repairing the affected pipework, and completing the required maintenance work. 

Client Communication

Once in touch with the site owner, they confirmed that the recommended repairs had not been completed and they did still have some flooding issues. They did advise they intended to address the onsite drainage in the new year, once the budget became available. 

Then Came The Rain 

A week later, we received a sudden, torrential rainfall and the client immediately got in touch to explain that their site had badly flooded and could we come and re-survey the site to investigate and prevent this issue from occurring again. 

The site was a busy, live site with storage facilities, therefore flooding can have serious repercussions. 

Most Effective Way Forwards 

We agreed that a re-survey and de-silting works would be the best course of action. Upon our revisit, 4 years after our initial survey, we found the site to be in much worse condition. 

There was significant scale, silt and debris which required a return visit as our tanker couldn’t take that volume. 

There was also now a large amount of root ingress which was severely impacted the capacity of the system. Due to the lack of maintenance, some inspection covers were seized and therefore unable to be accessed, so these require renewing. 

Our opinion is that, if the recommended repair work had been acted on prior to the rainfall, then flooding would not have occurred. The issue was severe this time due to the drought in the summer, and the issues getting progressively overtime due to not being addressed. 

Key Takeaway

Following an exceptionally dry summer, this is unlikely to be the only site to experience flooding as heavier and more consistent rainfall returns.

The consequences can be significant, from operational disruption and costly emergency repairs to damage to the wider asset. However, many of these risks can be identified before they escalate.

A CCTV drainage survey is a simple and relatively low-cost first step, providing visibility of potential issues and allowing proactive action to be taken before the true cost of flooding is realised.

If you manage property or portfolio, please get in touch as we can advise on best course of action and work with budgets to prioritise work ahead of the winter weather. 

Our Portfolio