Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/763461
12 WET NEWS JANUARY 2017 ONSITE Flood Risk mANAgemeNt Planning ahead aids rapid response • the Uk continues to be vulnerable to extreme flooding which is why it is vital to have a contingency plan in place, says sykes Pumps' Chris graham. projEcT SpEcS • ensure flood measures can be deployed quickly • ensure equipment and the response times needed to address rising flood water quickly are identified in advance • Carry out a full site audit of areas vulnerable to flooding W hile Christmas may have come around again in the blink of an eye for most of us, for many in the UK 2016 was a long year of getting their homes and businesses back in order a•er the awful floods of December 2015. Local authorities, the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency (EA) have all had their work cut out for them too, with communities devastated by the impact of flood waters and the damage they le• behind. 2016 also gave us a reminder of how suddenly and violently flooding can happen, thanks to the storms we experienced in November, and there could be more incidents before this winter is over. While the December 2015 floods provided us with a steep learning curve and prompted significant promises of investment in flood defences, the truth is that we remain vulnerable to flood risk. A high water table, high silt levels in natural watercourses and the increasingly mild and wet climate we have experienced in recent years are all contributory factors. Add to this the potential impact of a thaw should we experience a 'big freeze' this winter and the risk of flooding is as high as it has ever been. In many locations, flood defences are still not in place which means that communities must be ready to tackle floods reactively in the absence of any meaningful infrastructure to prevent them. Understanding the equipment available to help and planning ahead to ensure those measures can be deployed quickly is vital to minimising the impact of floods and the damage and misery that can ensue in their wake. Rising flood water Contingency planning for flooding is vital. This should not only involve ensuring an established relationship with a pump hire company to be confident that they have the equipment and response times needed to address rising flood water quickly and efficiently, but should also include an assessment of suitable sites for positioning the equipment so that the right kit can be deployed quickly in an emergency, including pumps, hoses, fuel tanks and ancillary equipment. It is in the nature of floods that they happen quickly and need an equally fast response. Working with a pump supplier that can carry out a full site audit of areas vulnerable to flooding will ensure that the most appropriate pumps are delivered to site quickly, with a strategy in place to manage the flood waters, including the discharge location. Speed is of the essence and it is for this reason that Sykes Pumps has recently developed a 'Rapid Response Emergency Pump' unit, designed for fast deployment to site as a first response pump. Capable of pumping 130,000l/h, the Rapid Response unit is compact and lightweight, enabling it to be taken to the required site quickly and easily, towed by a small van or car, rather than having to wait for delivery by a suitable works vehicle. As a result, it has already become a flood risk management tool that is on long-term hire in flood risk areas, ready for rapid deployment to site as and when needed. Fuel requirements for pumps are a common issue when it comes to putting initial flood water responses in place, as fuel the december 2015 floods provided a steep learning curve, and prompted significant promises of investment in flood defences the silt Away separates suspended solids before the water is released downstream