Islington News: Michael Coffey | Sewage Flooding | Warning

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 10 October 2008

Campaigner Michael Coffey: ‘Trees are wonderful at soaking up rainwater’

Sewage flooding warning as gardens fail to soak up rain

‘We’ve got to stop a tide of water blocking drains,’ pleads campaigner

A FORMER Thames Water executive turned environmentalist issued a stark warning this week that Islington could face severe sewage flooding unless more is done to allow rainwater to drain away.
Michael Coffey, former group strategy director at Thames Water, is now an independent water consultant and a leading member of Islington’s Green Party.
He spoke out after the government announcement last week of a ban on people paving over front gardens unless they can prove it is essential and have first got permission from the local authority.
About two-thirds of front gardens have been paved over in London, representing 32 square kilometres or 16 Olympic parks.
Mr Coffey is calling on Islington Council to introduce a policy that would ensure that new developments incorporated grass or earth surfaces to allow rainwater to drain away.
He is also calling for the planting of more trees, which soak up moisture and reduce the risk of urban flooding.
Mr Coffey said: “More than 60,000 properties across London are affected by sewer flooding. It’s a pretty horrific problem. But those numbers are likely to increase with climate change and expected higher rainfall.
“It will get worse because our sewers were built by the Victorians and just can’t cope. They will back up and overflow.”
He points out that in Chicago more than 200 miles of inner-city concrete alleys are being dug up and re-laid with permeable surfaces to stop effluent flooding into the Great Lakes.
In Germany, car parks are being redesigned so that concrete is interspersed with flower beds to provide sufficient natural drainage.
“I would like to see it a condition for every new development in Islington to have permeable areas,” he said. “It’s not just about protecting trees and grass banks. We’ve got to stop a tide of water going into drains and blocking them up.”
Mr Coffey said that every time a mature tree is cut down – London has lost an estimated 40,000 in five years – a chance to reduce the risk of urban flooding was lost.
He added: “Trees are wonderful at soaking up rainwater and distributing it back into the atmosphere.”
Referring to the campaign to save the 10 plane trees outside the soon-to-be-vacated Guardian offices in Farringdon, Mr Coffey said: “It is far cheaper to keep them than rip them out and replace them with a purpose-built permeable pavement.”
A spokeswoman for Thames Water said it was broadly in sympathy with Mr Coffey’s view about permeable surfaces. “There is not enough ground for the rain to go into so it is all running into the sewers.
“We have to do more to provide natural drainage.”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: