The flooding is caused by a mixture of out-of-sewer flooding and flooding from Sketchley Brook and Brookside detention pond. Our unique study provides detailed and quantitative reporting of the consequences of solving the out-of-sewer flooding from Severn Trent assets by passing more water to the receiving watercourse.
Many flood models look at river (fluvial) flooding, whereas others model flooding from the sewerage network. We modelled the complex interaction between them, creating a fully integrated model incorporating river, urban and 2D modelling.
We even built in features like kerbs, hedges and reductions in storage capacity due to siltation and vegetation growth. We also used LiDAR data to estimate that the area available for storage at the detention pond had reduced by approximately one quarter, compared to the as-built drawings, due to vegetation growth.
We and our partners used the model to examine flooding mechanisms across the area and assess the viability of potential solutions. Our study shows that solving flooding in this area is not just about adding bigger pipes to the sewers; options to increase the brook’s capacity should also be examined.
As the investigations phase of the project continues, it will help the stakeholders fund schemes to alleviate the flooding that has regularly affected the local community.
