Flood in my ‘hood. Not good.
It seems odd to be writing about downpours and flooding on the hottest day of the year, but that’s what I’m about to do, because I have spent a lot of today learning about quite how impotent the Council are when it comes to dealing with overflowing drains.
People who don’t believe in climate change need look no further than the end of my road for proof, because that’s where a load of waste water resided yesterday after a biblical downpour on Saturday night. And “waste water” is probably the politest possible term for the stinking sludge that it actually was. Thankfully it was cleaned up, but not before it sat there for a day.
The reason for the flooding is because the drains on Hilton Lane can’t cope with showers like that. They overflow. Unfortunately, the privatised water company United Utilities can’t be forced to do anything about it, and so local residents suffer whilst the drain goes un-fixed. I am told that United Utilities policy is only to act when houses are flooded. SInce it’s only the street and gardens at the moment, they’re happy to sit on their thumbs and do nothing until it reaches people’s front doors.
All of which seems a bit silly to me. They should act now. I have written them a letter to say so, and to ask what they are doing for local people to prevent flooding. I’ve also been speaking to angry people about the effect it’s having on them. It’s happened a couple of times this month, and there are reports of people becoming ill. This is twenty first century Prestwich and I find myself writing stuff out of a Victorian dyssentary epidemic…
Hopefully we’ll see some action before I sail off in a great flood.
Rick
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The key word in your tale is probably “privatised”. Isn’t it amazing that, in 21st Century Britain, despite the fact that people are having to face ever-rising Council Tax and Utilities Bills, when it comes to a patently obvious health hazard, reminiscent (as you observed), of a bygone Victorian era, nobody takes responsibility.
And as it happens, the Water Companies are among the Mammoths in this regard. Picking a fight with one of them is time-consuming, potentially costly, and invariably a pointless exercise.
You write of your experience with a fairly light touch - but in reality, it is a disgrace that it could happen, and even more disgraceful that no action is going to be taken.
But… the people at the top in those companies are still taking home a fortune every year.
Do please let us know how you get on with them!!