28/02/08
Last summer's extreme wet weather highlighted the two very different types of flooding – pluvial flooding, associated with heavy rainfall and exceeding drainage capacity, and fluvial flooding, caused by rivers exceeding their discharge capacity.
In Yorkshire and Humberside sewer flooding and drainage overflows due to sheer volumes of rainfall were key to the problem, while in the Midlands it was river flooding that overwhelmed the Mythe water treatment works, electricity sub stations and local rail and road networks.
Both incidents serve to highlight that parts of the water infrastructure are vulnerable in the event of severe rainfall.
In the second phase of its work, the Water UK Review Group on Flooding, along with regulators, industry, insurers and government, will further develop ideas and recommendations from Future Water, from the independent Pitt report and from other stakeholder sources.
Flooding Review Group – Part 1 report
Contact: Jim Marshall
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