Is it a drain, a sewer, or a gully? The Citizen yesterday had a useful section in their paper telling us the difference between drains, gullies and sewers...I have taken the liberty of copying it below. Meanwhile still no news re the local drains that were reported blocked? See blog entry on 14th January 2008.
Although walking around this morning - delivering more of my news leaflets - I see at least one of them has been sorted. However do please report any blockages to the County Council on the numbers given in the previous blog on this topic.
Puckshole floods
Residents of Puckshole are also seeking a meeting to see if more action can be taken to prevent the serious flooding there - yet again the Lane was under water and even today the water is gushing along the side of the road still (see photos). We will set something up but as the Ruscombe Brook Action Group have found, it never seems a priority by authorities as homes are not damaged and ownership of the culvert seems to not be clear....also the problem according to experts we've spoken to seems to be largely (but not wholly) caused by the size of the culvert...here are answers from the District Council's Drainage Officer to some questions asked about the situation...
What is the main cause of the problem? I think that the restrictive culvert under the access is the main reason for flooding rather than anything to do with the land owner.
How to sort the problem? I understand that the lane serving Acre Place is private - I made some enquiries with the County Council some time ago. It follows therefore that those who live in Acre place have a shared responsibility towards it's upkeep. I'm also aware that Cooke's culverted the brook under part of their site by using old oil drums as support for the concrete pour, therefore the size of the pipe under their site should be big enough to allow most flows to pass. The best action would be if the residents would club together to get the pipe under the highway replaced with a bigger one, I would suggest a minimum of 450 mm diameter. This should allow most minor debris items to pass and therefore remove the need for the homemade grill that holds back leaves and silt. The increased pipe may sit a bit lower and therefore help silts to be carried away, probable to the Lawns.
Has the latest Archway development made situation worse? Regarding the balancing pond at Archway school, I think this has been designed to intercept all the surface water runoff from the school and the new development next to it, so the situation should actually be better than before.
A query re street cleaning.....
- Randwick/Ruscombe are have two contracted street cleans each year plus cleans are done if requested
- Last Monday 7th someone from the Parish reported to the District Council the need for street cleaning up Ruscombe Road and Far Westrip. The contractors have confirmed this was done last Thursday 10th. However a resident writes: "I went for my walk up there on Sunday 13th and if there had been street cleaning, I found it to be totally inadequate, with the old debris in the gullies etc." She phoned the District who noted the street cleaning process involves a small vehicle with brushes and the cleaning of gulleys involves hosing them out. This is clearly an issue to be raised at tonights Parish meeting.
Is it a drain, a sewer, or a gully?
What is a drain? It is an underground pipe which carries either surface or foul water from a single property and discharges into a public or private sewer.
Who is responsible for drains? The owner (or in some cases the occupier) of a house is responsible for maintaining, repairing and cleaning his/her drain until it empties into a sewer. This means that the owner or occupier is still responsible even if it passes through somebody else's land.
What is a sewer? It is an underground pipe, which carries surface water or foul water from more than one property. Where two or more drains meet the pipe becomes a sewer.
Who is responsible for the maintenance of a sewer? This depends on whether it is a public or private sewer. Public sewers are maintained by the Water Authority - which in this area is Severn Trent. Private sewers are the responsibility of the owner or occupier of all properties draining into the length of pipe in question.
Who should I contact if a sewer is blocked? The clearance of public sewers is carried out by Severn Trent on 0800 7834444. For private sewers, the responsibility ultimately lies with all the owners of the properties upstream of the defect or blockage.
What is a gully? Road gullies allow water to drain away from roads and pavements. They consist of a gully grating and a gully pot underneath, and are situated at the side of the road by the kerb. Removal of rainwater from the highway is key to ensuring the safety of the road and preventing deterioration from standing water.
Who is responsible for gullies? Gloucestershire Highways is responsible for highway gullies which are drainage pits covered by an open metal grating located on the road edge. Their purpose is to drain rain water from the highway into the sewerage system.
How often are gullies emptied? The Highways Authority operates a programme to ensure that all gullies are cleared of leaves, litter, silt and debris at least once a year. In known trouble spots gullies are cleared more frequently.
Who do I contact if a gully is blocked? The county council's emergency gully clearance service can be contacted through the call centre on 08000 514514.
Who is responsible for water supply pipes? Severn Trent, who can be contacted on 0800 7834444, 24 hours a day.
Who is responsible for main rivers? The Environment Agency has powers to maintain and improve main rivers. It can construct and maintain defences against flooding, issue flood warnings, and manage water levels. Defra decides which are the main rivers. To find out who to contact at your local office call 08708 506 506.
Who is in charge of ordinary watercourses? Under the Land Drainage Act 1991, the local authority is the operating authority for ordinary watercourses where there is no Internal Drainage Board.
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