Work starts this month on a major flood alleviation scheme in Colebrook, near Plympton where up to 47 homes have suffered from flooding from watercourses, sewers and surface water.
The £2 million scheme is jointly funded by South West Water, the Environment Agency and Plymouth City Council. The organisations are separately responsible for public sewers, main rivers and highways drainage respectively, all of which have contributed to the flooding in Colebrook.
The three organisations have worked closely together to devise an integrated scheme for the village, which is the result of extensive and complex surveys, investigations and design work.
The work, which starts on Tuesday 27 May, will involve the relocation of a combined sewer overflow (CSO) - a pipe which takes surface water and waste water away from homes during wet weather. Hydraulic modelling of the area proved that the CSO was not effectively protecting homes in its current location.
South West Water is also building new surface water sewers to help separate highway surface water from the sewerage system and reduce the risk of flooding from the culverted Boringdon Stream.
The work should be complete before Christmas 2014.
Richard Gilpin, Head of Waste Water at South West Water, said:
"Colebrook residents have suffered from flooding for too long. Due to the wetter winters in recent years, the flooding has got more intense and more frequent. With the support of our partners, we're pleased to be starting work on this major scheme which should significantly reduce flood risk in the village.”
"As more gardens and driveways are concreted over, flooding in urban areas can increase. Working in partnership with local authorities and the Environment Agency, our shared goal is to create flood resistance using the landscape to retain more water naturally. Colebrook is an obvious candidate for this innovative approach to water management."
Gordon Trapmore, Devon and Cornwall Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency described the scheme as an excellent example of authorities working together to seek an integrated reduction of flood risk.
Plymouth City Council aligned its capital programme with those of its partners to enable the work to take place at the earliest opportunity.
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