Flooding in Barham – questions and answers – Friday 31 January

Q. What’s the situation in Barham?

A. Water levels along the Nailbourne are rising and staff from Canterbury City Council, the Environment Agency and Kent County Council are monitoring the situation closely. Barham is a particular area of concern with up to 25mm of rain forecast for the weekend of 1 and 2 February.

Weed screens are being cleared twice every day by the Environment Agency and a sandbag channel has been built across the ford at Railway Hill to keep the Nailbourne on its course. The ford is therefore now closed. Kent County Council is repairing potholes on the route out of Railway Hill. Potholes can be reported on 03000 41 81 81.

All the agencies involved know exactly what is going on. They have resources in place and are using them. Villagers in Barham will see lots of activity over the weekend and beyond, as will other villages on the Nailbourne where there is a risk of flooding, and any action required will be taken.

Two ‘flood ambassadors’ from the Environment Agency will be in Barham on Saturday 1 February to answer questions and explain more about action that’s being taken.

Q. What will happen if the situation deteriorates at the ford?

A. Should things get worse such that the water is backing up significantly, the Environment Agency would consider installing a pump to move water from the upstream to the downstream side of the footbridge at The Causeway.

Q. Are sandbags being provided?

A. The city council has placed sandbags in locations where they are needed. We have sophisticated monitoring systems and know where they are required and when to deploy them.

Currently there are almost 4,000 sandbags in place along the Nailbourne, predominantly in Barham. We have more available should they be needed.

The very strong advice to residents living in areas where flooding is a possibility is that they should maintain their own supply of sandbags so they can protect their property. Sandbags can be sourced from builders’ merchants and DIY stores.

Q. Who do I contact if I’m concerned about flooding?

A. Residents concerned about actual incidents of flooding can call the city council during office hours on 01227 862000 or out of hours on 01227 781879. The Environment Agency’s Floodline number, which provides the latest information about flood warnings, is 0845 988 1188.

There is also the possibility that rising groundwater could enter sewerage systems, causing wastewater to 'back up' into properties which can prevent people using their toilet and bathroom facilities.

Southern Water has taken the decision to start pumping sewage into the Nailbourne to relieve pressure on the sewers and prevent drains backing up into properties. This water has been partially treated and is highly diluted and is not thought to form a health risk, but people are advised not to let children and dogs play in the water.

Warning notices have been posted along the Nailbourne from Bishopsbourne to Littlebourne.

People who experience sewer flooding to their property should report it to Southern Water on 0845 278 0845.

Q. What is happening to rubbish collections?

A. Where possible we will continue with usual waste collections. However some routes have been amended to ensure that properties to the west of the ford still have their rubbish and recycling collected. There may be a slight delay to the usual collection times as a result.