Call for more permanent pumping stations
07:00 - 28-June-2008
The equipment would be positioned at drains to stop them overflowing and flooding surrounding areas.
It is one of 60 recommendations made by East Riding Council's Flood Review Panel, which has just released its report into last June's severe weather, which caused devastation across the region.
The panel wants the Environment Agency to pay for pumps to be placed at Burstwick Drain, which runs from east of Humbleton, near Aldbrough, past Burton Pidsea, Burstwick and Thorngumbald and enters the Humber at Hedon Haven.
During the floods, huge emergency pumps had to be rushed to the drain to keep it at a safe level and ensure land nearby did not flood further.
The East Riding review has also called for pumping stations to be installed along Western Drain, which runs near the villages of Cottingham, Willerby, Kirk Ella and Anlaby and flows into the estuary at Hessle Haven.
The panel also wants to see stations installed at critical drains across the Haltemprice area, which would be used to pump water into the River Humber.
Councillor Carole Lynn, who was part of the review panel, said: “One of the major problems we had in June, apart from the unprecedented rainfall, was the drains filled up and could not be emptied fast enough, as they rely on tidal flows.
“With the example of Burstwick Drain, sluice gates at Hedon Haven are opened at low tide, which allows the drain to empty into the Humber.
“However, at high tide they are closed and therefore at times of flooding, water needs to be pumped over and around those gates.
“Another problem last year was we had to wait for pumps to arrive from other parts of the country, which were held up by flooding on the A63 and the M62.
“If we had permanent pumping stations in place they could get to work straight away and start getting water out of the drains and into the Humber.
“The board believes these schemes need to be implemented as a matter of urgency.”
As a result of last year's floods, more than 6,000 households were damaged across the region. The Environment Agency brought in two huge pumps, weighing five tons each, to keep water in Burstwick Drain at a safe level.
They pumped 1,000 litres per second out of the drain and into the Humber and were working alongside six other pumps brought in by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
As yet, it is not known what capacity of pumps would be needed at each drain as a comprehensive study would have to be carried out to determine the size of the watercourses they would serve.
Officials at the Environment Agency said a study was taking place into the use of pumps.