A £3.5 million scheme to reduce the risk of homes flooding in a London street has been completed by Thames Water.
Properties in Dunoon Road, Forest Hill, had been prone to flooding in heavy rain, but the successful completion of the project means residents now have extra protection and reassurance in bad weather.
Thames Water sewers are designed to cope with most storms, but rainfall is occasionally so heavy it overwhelms the system.
In Dunoon Road, a new two-metre wide, 100-metre long pipe has been connected to the existing sewer, meaning it can now handle a much greater volume of water than before. At any one time the sewer can now hold 315,000 litres of water, the same amount that would be needed to fill three London double-decker buses.
The sections of the pipe comprise a steel core surrounded by plastic, and are 30 times lighter than traditional concrete sections, meaning they could be connected quickly. They are also better for the environment because smaller machines can be used to fit them.
Thames Water engineers worked closely with the community to keep disruption to a minimum, and the work was completed six weeks ahead of schedule. Many residents praised the team of contractors for their hard work and friendliness.
In a letter to the team, one resident said: “Thank you so much for all your help with the sewer. You have been brilliant the last few months as we saw how hard you worked. Carry on the great work.”
Tim Horton, Thames Water’s capital delivery director, said: “We are dedicated to protecting our customers from flooding. Sometimes the nature of the work means it can be disruptive, so I am really pleased to see this project has attracted so many positives. The team should be very proud of their performance. It was a tremendous job.”
