Hi

I hope you all remain well.

I wanted to provide the community with a progress update and let you know that projects formally known as Communty Action Plans (CAPs) have now become part of the Rainwise initiative. I am pleased to report that we have continued to look into opportunities to make the Bedlington sewerage catchment more Rainwise.

We have reviewed the initial outcomes of the Bedlington study and have identified the areas in the catchment were our effort should be focused to reduce flood risk. This would mean modifying the sewer network to ensure less rainfall enters the system which in turn will reduce the likelihood of flooding as well as pollution to water courses. The project has been re-launched and my project team are currently working on notional solutions in three areas of the town Westlea, Hartlands and Chatsworth Drive and surrounding streets.

The initial survey work in Westlea is complete. Later in the month we plan to commence collecting manhole and topographical data in the remain two areas. This work will not be intrusive and we plan to start surveying in the Chatworths Drive vicinity on the 17th September continuing into the Hartlands vicinity on the 19th September. Traffic management will not be required for these surveys, we will maintain safety with the use of advanced notification signage and cones.

I would love to hear from anyone who lives or works in these areas, and for you to share your experiences of any realized flooding or the management of surface water in the area

Thanks

Ian

Hi

It’s been a while since I’ve been in touch and I’d like to give you an update on our progress to date with the Rainwise project in this area.

We’ve completed our data collection around Bedlington and Cambois so now we’re continuing to explore opportunities that allow us to manage rainfall better – by slowing it down or removing it from the pipes, we can help to reduce the risk of flooding in the area when we get a really heavy downpour.

We’ll be looking at things which range from installing sustainable solutions that manage rainfall naturally, to upgrading the existing sewer network. We’ll be keeping you involved at every stage of the project, and if we find there is the opportunity to carry out some work to help reduce the risk of flooding, then we will always seek your views first.

We want you to get involved too – making changes at home, no matter how small, such as installing a water butt, can really help to manage rainwater in a natural environment. For more tips on what you can do, see www.nwl.co.uk/rainwise.

If you have any questions you can get in touch with me using the "Contact us" button at the top of the page or leaving a comment below. Alternatively our customer centre will be happy to speak to you on 0345 717 1100 .

Thanks

Ian

Hi, I’m Ian Davison and I’m the Project Manager for the investigations we’re carrying out in the Bedlington & Cambois drainage catchment as part of our Rainwise initiative.

We want to be prepared for the future so we are working proactively to understand any potential flood risk in the area and see if there are any opportunities to carry out flood risk reduction projects.

This means getting you involved too, so we want you to tell us about your previous experiences of flooding or any issues surrounding surface water in the area.

You can leave your comments on this update or get in touch using the ‘contact us’ button at the top of the page.

We will also be letting you know about the small steps you can take to manage surface water around your property, which can help reduce the risk of flooding in your community as a whole.

Over the coming few weeks we’ll be out and about in the area carrying out surveys and collecting data. If you see members of the project team carrying out these investigation works, please do say hello and feel free to chat to them about Rainwise and your experiences.

As always, if we do identify any opportunities for flood risk reduction projects in the area, we will let you know and seek your views on our proposals.