FLOODING AND WATER PRESSURE AD HOC SCRUTINY PANEL

Final Report to Overview and Scrutiny Committee

February 2006

Photo removed for inclusion on website

CHAIR’S OPENING COMMENT:

Councillor Paul Woodgate

Chair of Flooding and Water Pressure Panel / "Overall I feel that the Scrutiny process in Ealing is moving in the right direction and recent reports by the I&DeA and the Audit Commission back that view up. This has resulted from the hard work of officers and members which has been helped in turn by the change in structure in May 2004 allowing for more focussed scrutiny work.
On a personal level, it has been a quite rewarding time as Chair since taking on the role in May 2005. Flooding and Water Pressure are salient issues locally and nationally. As an Acton resident and Councillor who has seen the knock on effects first hand it has been particularly helpful having the chance to investigate these issues in detail and question the relevant bodies. The Panel has been a good example of the scope of external scrutiny.
Overall, although the Panel will be a one off, I look forward to seeing the Overview and Scrutiny Committee continue to take an interest in Flooding and Water Pressure as specified later on in this report. In addition I hope that the learning points identified at the end of the report help shape future time-limited and/or external scrutiny work. On a practical level, I am aware that this Panel has contributed towards a significant improvement in the relationship between Ealing officers and the relevant staff of Thames Water. This is important in addressing the day-to-day issues.
To finish I would just like to thank the Scrutiny Unit (especially Kelerie Heiser but also Harjeet Bains and Nahreen Matlib), Environment officers (especially Andrew Pedley), Jim Whoriskey from Ealing Homes and Cllr Philip Portwood (Vice-Chair) for their support, without which the Panel's work would not be possible."

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

The Flooding and Water Pressure Scrutiny Panel was established by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19 April 2005. The issue of water pressure and flooding first arose for scrutiny from a referral from Acton Area Committee in January 2005.

The purpose of the Flooding and Water Pressure Panel was to:

  • understand from Thames Water how they propose to deal with leaks and flooding in the long term;
  • seek clarity about how reductions in water pressure will impact on the borough’s residents and property owners; and
  • seek clarity on the measures Thames Water and/or the Council can take to alleviate any adverse impact of water pressure reduction measures.

The scope of the Flooding and Water Pressure Panel included:

  • Considering issues relevant to water pressure and flooding in a local context i.e. affecting local Ealing residents and workers and people using Ealing services.
  • Consideration of the environmental effects and long-term sustainability.
  • Addressing any other related matter or issues of concern raised in the course of the Panel’s work.

The Flooding and Water Pressure Panel provided councillors with the opportunity to perform external scrutiny and to fulfil their community leadership role by examining the services provided by the water authorities that are not under the control of the Council.

1.2Methodology

The main techniques used by the Panel included receiving reports and presentations from the water authorities and service officers, and holding a public open meeting. Both water companies who serve the borough, Three Valleys Water and Thames Water, provided a written report and attended a Panel meeting to answer questions about services. Regular briefings and updates were received from service officers at each Panel meeting. The Panel specifically invited affected residents and businesses to attend an open public meeting held at St. Mary’s Church in Acton on the 16th November 2005.

  1. ISSUES

2.1Issues considered by the Panel can be identified under four broad themes:

  • Water Pressure
  • Flooding
  • Communications
  • Sustainability

2.2Water Pressure

2.2.1Three Valleys Water

Three Valleys supplies water to approximately 52,000 properties mainly in Southall and Greenford. Three Valleys does not have immediate plans to reduce water pressure but will continue with their current system of pressure management. Over the next five years Three Valleys have targeted some of the pipes in Ealing for renewal. The Panel was pleased to note the mutual agreement of Three Valleys, Service Officers from Environmental Health and Ealing Homes that there was a good working relationship between Three Valleys and Ealing Council. The Panel expressed that they are satisfied with the records of Three Valleys in the provision of their service. Service officers contact and liaison with Three Valleys was good. With respect to their ongoing work, Three Valleys was looking to introduce “Developers Clubs” where a developer would contribute to the cost of the water resources for the proposed development so works could be planned strategically. From the information gathered by the Panel it does not appear that at this time there are major issues or concerns with regards to Three Valleys’ services to the Council. Thames Water controls all the sewers in the Borough, so Three Valleys only supplies water to a limited number of properties.

2.2.2Thames Water

  • In an attempt to reduce leakage and prevent burst water mains Thames Water is proposing to reduce water pressure across London. There are particular concerns for water pressure in buildings with three or more storeys. However, Ealing Homes has reported that at this time there is no area in Ealing that is identified by Thames Water as having a having a problem with water pressure. Ealing Homes has identified Gurnell Grove but feels this may be due to a local water management issue and they are currently dealing with it.
  • For properties with three or more storeys it is proposed that boosters are installed to ensure pressure for the top storeys. Thames has agreed to pay up to 50% of the cost for areas that are part of the Network Improvement Programme (NIP). Thames Water reported that at this stage in the planning process there were currently no buildings in Ealing that would be impacted by the improvement works and would notify the Council in plenty of time of programme changes.
  • Thames Water has confirmed to the Council that they would deliver the statutory requirement of at least one bar of water pressure for all properties in Ealing. Ealing Homes reported that this would be a sufficient level of pressure to ensure proper functioning of the combination boiler systems currently used in many Council properties.

2.3Flooding

  • Acton has suffered from repeated flooding due to both sewer flooding and flooding caused by burst or fractured pipes.
  • The sewerage flooding in Church Road Acton W3, including Ragley Close, has cost the Council an estimated £60,000 in clean up costs since the flooding first began in July 2004. It is believed a blockage in the pipe combined with heavy rainfall contributed to the recurrent flooding in the area. At the open forum on 16th November 2005 Thames Water acknowledged that works in the Acton area, specifically with regards to the Church Road and Ragley Close issues, had taken longer than they would have liked as they were seeking to understand what was causing the problem. The Council determined that Thames Water was responsible for the flooding. A meeting between Thames Water and the Chief Executives from Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils took place on 2nd December to discuss a possible way forward.
  • The Horn Lane Project has been ongoing since 1999 when flooding occurred and Thames Water gave a 12-month timeframe for progress on works to resolve the problem. There has been additional flooding since. Thames Water gives an estimated outline of 12 months for design/planning of the project and to obtain funding approval. Once that is completed it would be an additional 9-12 months to carry out the works. This would be a total of 3.5 years from the most recent flooding in the area which occurred in August 2004. Thames Water does hope the project will move faster but cannot give confirmation for any firm dates presently.

2.4Communications

  • Ealing Homes reported the problems with communicating with Thames Water concerning sewerage issues. Ealing Homes has had no response to emails and letters that were sent to customer services. Service officers and councillors have also had difficulty contacting Thames Water employees on mobile phones. There have been no reported difficulties in communicating with Three Valleys, although they do not serve as large an area of the borough as Thames Water.
  • Overall it appears that Thames Water does not communicate with relevant officers in a timely or organised manner about works they are carrying out.
  • With regards to the Council’s internal communications, service officers in Environmental Health and Ealing Homes felt that communication was quite good between the two services but there is room for improvement and there could be more frequent communication between the two departments.

2.5Sustainability

Although the main focus of the Panel was on the issues of flooding and water pressure, they also took into consideration the responsible use of water and water sustainability. The Panel discussed abstracting ground water through the use of boreholes for watering parks, the harvesting of rainwater by collection in water butts to water gardens and the reuse of grey water. Cheap down pipes could be used to collect household grey water to be reused to water gardens rather than go to waste. Currently there are no ongoing projects between the Council and the water authorities to formally highlight any water conservation issues. However, both Thames Water and Three Valleys reported that they promote water efficiency and water efficiency leaflets are sent out with customer’s bills.

3.Outcomes

Recommendations to Cabinet

R1.The appropriate councillors and officers should raise the issue of timescales for improvements in their dealings with Thames Water and they should maintain pressure on Thames Water to provide the Council with regular information regarding timescales for projects e.g. providing progress reports for projects such as Horn Lane and Church Road to Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Acton Area Committee.

R2.The Council identifies a lead officer for water issues who will ensure that the information is provided to all relevant services including Ealing Homes, so that a co-ordinated, joined up approach is taken. The lead officer would develop protocols for internal and external communications on water issues.

R3.The Chief Executive continues to be involved in talks with Thames Water until the flooding and water pressure issues have been resolved satisfactorily.

R4.Cabinet identifies a lead service, for example Parks and Countryside or Waste Management, for water conservation and recycling who would promote conservation and recycling through council channels, for example, Around Ealing.

R5.The Director of the Built Environment consults with water authorities over site developments in order that the water authorities might comment on the applications, and also plan for the necessary water infrastructure.

Recommendations to Overview and Scrutiny Committee

R6.That Overview and Scrutiny Committee support the Chief Executive in dealings with Thames Water Authority.

R7.Overview and Scrutiny Committee agrees that the observations of the Panel are passed on to Thames Water and that the Panel’s final report is sent to OFWAT, Association of London Government (ALG) and Greater London Authority (GLA) for their consideration.

R8.Overview and Scrutiny Committee receives a further report from the Director of Cultural Services (Parks and Countryside) and Director of Street Environment (Waste Management) on the use of boreholes and other methods of abstracting ground water for use in e.g. parks and allotments in order that OSC might make

Observations to Thames Water

  • Thames Water should liaise regularly with the Council by providing public progress reports on the implementation of the improvements to relevant services officers and Acton Area Committee.
  • The Panel has reviewed the proposals made by Thames Water in respect of water pressure and have found these to be unacceptable, particular in respect of tower blocks.
  • Thames Water appears to be taking a fragmented approach to resolving flooding and water pressure issues.
  • Thames Water needs to operate more openly and transparently.
  • Thames Water needs to work with Ealing officers’, including Ealing Homes, to develop a protocol to clarify who holds responsibility for each relevant area. The protocol should include relevant officers names and contact details to establish a good liaison and to facilitate the exchange of key information.
  • The Panel observed that the timescales given by Thames Water were generous. However the Panel expressed concern that these should not slip any further than had happened already.
  • Thames Water should consider using its own and, with agreement, the Councils communication channels (e.g. website, Around Ealing) to relay the information to residents.

4.Key Learning Points

  • It has been useful meeting with local water authorities resulting in good external scrutiny.
  • There was a tight remit and limited timescale for this Panel which resulted in a focused piece of work.
  • Consistent attendance from officers at each Panel meeting was valuable to offer continuity of the Panel’s work.
  • Support from the officers (both Council and Ealing Homes) had been excellent enabling members to understand the issues - leading to effective questioning.
  • Better publicity for open meeting well in advance would encourage higher attendance by affected residents and businesses.

5.Attendance

The Panel met a total of four times. There were seven members on the Panel. There were no non-voting advisory members on the Panel. The scrutiny officer sought nominations from several community organisations but none expressed an interest. Friends of the Earth reported they did not feel they had anyone with any particular knowledge of the issues and did not wish to put forward a nomination. The Eastern Area Board Housing Association did not have anyone available to nominate. There was no contact information for an Acton Flooding Action group and no indication that this remained a formally organised group with ongoing work.

The Portfolio Holder for Streets and Environment (Cllr John Delaney) attended one meeting. Representatives from Three Valleys Water and Thames Water attended one meeting each. Andrew Slaughter MP also attended one meeting.

Attendance by Panel members was as follows:

Maximum possible / Attendance / Apologies
Cllr Paul Woodgate – Chair / 4 / 4 / 0
Cllr Philip Portwood – Vice-Chair / 4 / 4 / 0
Cllr Anthony Brown / 4 / 0 /

4

Cllr Kate Crawford(Cllr Margaret Majumdar substituted for 6th Sept meeting) / 4 / 2 / 2
Cllr Gary Malcolm /

4

/

4

/

0

Cllr Nigel Sumner /

4

/

4

/

0

Cllr Peter Wicks (Cllr Manjit Singh substituted for 6th Sept meeting) / 4 /

2

/ 2

6.Background Papers

Flooding and Water Pressure Ad Hoc Scrutiny Panel Terms of Reference,

Work Programme,

Agendas, Minutes and Reports

1