Flood Risk
Did you know: South Fulham sits on the flood plain of the river Thames and whilst there are structural protections in place from direct flooding from the river (Thames Barrier & river walls) the fact that we are so low-lying does put the whole area at high risk of flash flooding from heavy rain.
As the climate change is now ever more visible we are experiencing these heavy downfalls more and more often and as we saw on Monday this can lead to localised flooding either directly from surface water or indirectly as water backs up from drains through manholes.
Unfortunately, due to our antiquated sewage system, the rain water mixes with sewage making the flooded water contaminated.
SUDS – Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
You may have heard the term SUDS and the plans for the WBR include SUDS in the buildouts but what exactly are they.
Simply put they are patches of ground (grassy verges, green planting, etc) that can absorb rainwater so avoiding water rushing into the drains. This water seeps through the ground into the earth below, watering our trees and reduces the risk of flash floods.
We as individuals can help:
- if you own your home see if you can disconnect your roof gutters from the master drain and have the water go into a soak-away in the garden or into a water-butt first (saving rainwater for watering during dry spells).
- Do not pave over your garden or front without providing suitable drainage into the soil.
- The council have a very simple guide on how to mitigate flash flood risk in the home.
We all have a shared responsibility towards sustainable management of our urban environment, from watering street trees during a drought to ensuring we do not put ourselves and our neighbours at risk of flooding by paving over our properties.
In turn the council has an ambitious project to mitigate flood risk by breaking up the concrete jungle and installing SUDS whenever and wherever it can. We look forward to seeing this happening on the WBR as part of the redesign of the road.
SUDS as part of the High street design suggestions.
