Edward Davey MP - Flooding

Flooding

For latest update (March 2000) read the details of Thames Water's survey

Flooding alleviation in the Borough of Kingston Upon Thames

I wanted to up date you on progress made with Thames Water on flood alleviation following last summer's floods. I am sorry for not writing earlier, but the priority has been to focus on the solutions.

I also wanted to ask you to complete the "feedback form" on my contact
details page, so I can find out your views on the progress made and what you
believe remains to be done.

The special taskforce Thames Water agreed to set up has completed its initial work and I will soon be receiving a full report on the two hundred or more flooding incidents across my constituency, often involving more than one household. I want to be able to study that report with the help of your views on the progress and outstanding issues as you see them

Thames Water's Taskforce & Monitoring Meetings

When over fifty different households contacted me after the floods, it was clear that a strategic response was needed from Thames Water and the Kingston Council for my constituents.

Following the meeting I requested at the Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Site in early Autumn, Thames Water set up a Special Taskforce to look into every reported flooding incident. The taskforce had a remit to identify the causeof the flooding in each individual case, to take whatever immediate actions were possible to deal with the problem and to make recommendations to alleviate remaining future flooding risks. As Kingston Council also has
responsibilities for clearing gutters and street drainage up to the main sewers, they agreed to take part in joint working.

The immediate tasks included completing remaining clear-up work and compiling a full list of every flooding incident. Thames Water, the Council and my office shared the names and addresses we had all recorded. We used the press and leaflets to advertise the relevant telephone number for reporting flooding incidents, in case there were people who had not done so and this worked well.

For the last ten weeks, the taskforce has investigated every reported incident, surveying and cleaning the drains and visiting constituents. They have also reported back to myself and local councillors at a number of monitoring meetings.

Specific Areas

A number of areas have received special attention because of the severity of the flooding and the incidence of sewage flooding. These included certain roads in the Grove Area of Kingston and a few roads in Berrylands. Residents in these areas should have been contacted by Thames Water directly to up date them on progress. If you think you live in these areas, and for some reason not heard in detail from Thames Water, do note that on your feedback form. Many of you will live outside the worst affected ares, but may individually have endured bad experiences. Please let me know if you believe sufficient action has or has not been taken.

Following pressure from residents, councillors and myself, I do believe Thames Water have responded well in this area, bringing forward study and implication timetables as requested. I would therefore like to put on record my gratitude to Thames Water for that response.

Background Research

Prior to my involvement in this issue, I knew relatively little about drains, sewers and so on! However, my office has now undertaken a number of research projects to brief me on the legal, regulatory and environmental aspects of this issue, so that I can represent you properly.

As a result of this research, I have become rather concerned about shortcomings in the regulatory system set up when the water industry was privatised. I will therefore use any relevant parliamentary occasions to take up this issue forward. Much of this background research, kindly provided by the House of Commons Library's experts is available here.

The statutory obligations of local councils with respect to flood control

The responsibility of the other bodies for dealing with floods

Flooding from Sewers

Reporting past or future flooding incidents

The key lesson from this research is that it is vital to report every flooding incident, every time, with details. This is because the regulatory regime prioritises investment to prevent flooding though a point system, which is based on the number of recorded flooding incidents.

Therefore, I would urge you to encourage local residents you know to call Thames Water's Customer Centre on 08459 200 800, if they have suffered or suffer from flooding - even if the unreported incident occurred sometime back in the last twelve months.

This has been a long, difficult and, at times, complicated saga. I am, however, determined that this issue is dealt with fully and comprehensively, to avoid a repetition of this summer's events. It will, unfortunately never be possible to guarantee flooding on that scale won't re-occur. My research showed that environmental changes may well be responsible for the storms' severity, and the fact they were so localised. Nevertheless, all involved learnt lessons, ranging from the importance of joint working for those authorities responsible, to clear and early customer communications when problems arise.

Please do provide me with feedback on how you feel the authorities have been dealing with this problem.

Press releases

2/11/99 - "Gutter politics" brings progress on flood protection measures!

29/9/99 - "Tell Thames if you flood – every time!" - Davey

7/9/99 - Davey demands action on drains