Drains and Gullies
Residents of Ruyton-XI-Towns have been anxious about the capacity of the drains during recent storms.
Following the downpour in June, water flooded off the fields and down Olden Lane taking and depositing mud into gateways of properties and round the corners of School Road and Hall Farm Grange.
Clearly the drains had not coped with the downpour.
During the more recent heavy rain, water again came off the fields and the drains failed to cope. Water was pouring out from drains rather than being carried away.
There is a recurring issue with run-off from the fields washing silt into the drains and eventually blocking them.
One resident took a short video of the water coming down Olden Lane in June and this was sent to the Highways Maintenance Manager at Shropshire Council with a number of photographs of drains in the village that are blocked with soil.
Following these representations, the local technician has arranged for reactive jetting of the system along Olden Lane and Hall Farm Grange. He will also check School Road, Church Street and Doctors Meadow, and arrange jetting as appropriate.
The majority of gullies (drains) are emptied annually, but the local technician will in addition arrange jetting as and when required, if notified.
In future, the Parish Council will be informed when the annual work will be taking place and arrangements are in place to contact the local technician in the event of problems that arise in the meantime.
In correspondence with Shropshire Council it has been emphasised that where drains appear to be becoming blocked by mud or other debris this should not be pushed into the gully. This increases the silting and impacts on the efficiency of the drainage.
The drains are there to collect water from the highway and the public should not be discharging anything into them, or putting anything down them.
When there is a non-urgent concern about blocked gullies and drains this may be reported to the Parish Council Clerk who will notify the local technician or a report may be made directly to Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9000.
If there are urgent problems of flooding these should be reported by telephoning Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9000 giving details of the location. In extreme weather conditions with heavy rainfall, work will be prioritised depending upon the severity.
More information about drains may be found on Shropshire Council website at https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/roads-and-highways/highways-maintenance/drainage-on-our-roads/
Drains and pipes carrying sewage are the responsibility of the water authority and problems should be reported directly to them. Severn Trent Water may be contacted on 0800 783 4444 (24/7) or by the company’s website contact arrangements, which the Parish Council has found very efficient.
