Thames Water urged to get a Flipping move on

Monday November 14, 2011

Thames Water has been urged to speed up the installation of mini pumping stations into west London homes which are liable to flooding.

The hi-tech devices, known as Flips (flooding local improvement projects), are being fitted in homes with basements in the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) and Kensington and Chelsea… but more than half of the 600 most vulnerable properties are still at risk.

Now Thames Water is taking on extra teams to tackle the backlog, with four more gangs being employed before Christmas, and another half dozen early in 2012.

It follows pressure from H&F Council, which has accused Thames Water of dragging its feet in installing Flips, which cost the utility company up to £35,000 per house.

Councillor Nick Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader, says: “This essential work seems to be taking an eternity and all the time the risk of our residents’ basements being flooded with sewage is growing.”

The news will come as a double shock to residents in the south of H&F who have just learned that Thames Water’s £4.1billion super sewer, or Thames Tunnel as it is also known, now threatens schools, homes and jobs in residential Sands End.

“Thames Water executives seem to be in a huge rush to build their controversial super sewer regardless of residents’ views,” continues Cllr Botterill. “But when it comes to preventing sewage from flowing into residents’ homes they are in much less of a hurry. If they cannot deliver a programme of installing small pumps on time and on budget it does not bode well for a colossal and complex project that is worth more than £4billion.”

The latest Thames Water figures show that only 233 out of 592 houses identified as needing Flips have had devices installed, even though 384 have opted to join the scheme. A further 53 customer agreements are awaiting final signature.

Conceding that there had been “issues” in the summer which had affected work, Thames Water said its contractor was now meeting H&F highways staff every two weeks, to review progress.

“This liaison is key to the programme moving forward, as we look to increase the workforce to achieve our timeline,” said a Thames Water spokesman.

It takes a gang two to three weeks to install and test each Flip, with 76 devices scheduled to be fitted in the borough between now and Christmas, to solve the problem of sewage flowing into low-lying homes.

“As of Monday this week, we now have 21 gangs on the project, installing Flips. We are looking to increase this to 25 gangs prior to Christmas and by an additional five to six gangs when we return in the New Year.”

The spokesman praised H&F Council for keeping the contractors focused on the job. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the highways team who are providing great support and, where required, challenging the contractor in progressing with this important work.”

H&F Council says that while it is pleased that residents in 384 of the 592 ‘at-risk’ homes have taken up Thames Water’s offer of free £35,000 anti-flooding pumping systems, it is disappointed that the water company hasn’t made more effort to explain the benefits of Flips to the ‘missing’ 208.

Thames Water originally set aside £22million to pay for up to 634 Flips for H&F residents, with the shortfall in take-up being blamed on absentee landlords and a misplaced fear that fitting the equipment might bump up insurance premiums, when in fact they are likely to fall.

“I would urge any resident who has not responded to Thames Water’s offer, for whatever reason, to get in touch with them as soon as possible,” added Cllr Botterill. “There are few things worse for homeowners than raw sewage back-surging into their property, and these mini pumping stations are tried, tested and free.”

For more information visit: www.thameswater.co.uk (opens new window) or call 0845 920 0800.