Yorkshire Water Sets Aside £350,000 to Go Towards Flood Barriers

Yorkshire Water is all geared up to invest a total of £350,000 in the installation of temporary flood barriers, on the back of extreme wet weather affecting sewerage and water supply services. The aim is to reduce the associated risk which comes with these weather conditions.

Since they are indeed temporary structures, the barriers will be deployed whenever there is a risk of flooding, a move which will protect the region-wide infrastructure, which includes 55 water treatment works as well as 631 sewerage treatment plants.

In comparison to sandbags, the plastic barriers can be easily and rapidly deployed, effectively creating dams, diverting waterflows, and to help in the prevention of flood water causing damage to the assets of Yorkshire Water. This ensures that sewers keep flowing and that water supplies are maintained.

Martyn Hattersley, Emergency Planning Manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “These barriers reduce the risk of essential services being affected during extreme wet weather events. During floods electricity, gas and water services are all put under pressure and this investment is about improving resilience to our water and sewage services. The barriers will provide a vital extra layer of protection against floods, reduce pollutions risks and flooding.”

Several sites belonging to Yorkshire Water in Calderdale, Bradford, Leeds and York were bombarded with flood water over last year’s Boxing Day floods. In response to this, the firm resolved to carry out crucial inspections at every one of these sites so as to mitigate against the risk associated with future flooding. In addition, the firm carried out a major operation to clean out its sewers that had been filled with river silt.

Following the Government’s National Flood Resilience Review which was published in September, the investment in flood barriers was duly made.

Yorkshire Water forms part of the multi-agency Local Resilience Forums, which hold the responsibility for the planning and preparation for emergency incidents, such as flooding, to aid in the mitigation of the impact they have on the local communities.