Catchment to Coast
We will be helping eligible residents in Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock capture rainwater completely for free as part of the fantastic Catchment to Coast project! This is specific to select locations within Standford-le-Hope and Westcliff-on-Sea. More details will be available soon, including the types of water butts and rainplanters that will be available.
We don't have the full details on what will be available yet, but we can tell you all about the project, what we're hoping to achieve and the challenges Southend and Thurrock face.
Catchment to Coast is one of 25 DEFRA funded Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programmes (FCRIP) and is set across 17 sites throughout Thurrock and Southend.
By looking at different catchment areas, the project tackles challenges specific to each location to provide an overall positive impact. Working with impacted communities is key to finding the best solutions.
The key goals of Catchment to Coast are to combat flooding and coastal erosion, and improve drought tolerance, in Southend and Thurrock.
Trialling new and innovative methods to investigate the most effective will help contribute to local, regional and national policy enabling the UK to adapt better to climate change. Through our collaboration with local communities we're working to improve conditions for wildlife, rivers, and the natural environment.
Southend and Thurrock are facing several interrelated water challenges, including surface water flooding, tidal flooding and outfalls.
The area is made up of different catchments that have specific challenges impacted by multi-source flood events and intense rainfall - which is happening more often! This is made worse by:
More Urban Areas
This includes roofs, concrete and tarmac (impermeable surfaces). Rain cannot soak (infiltrate) these areas, increasing surface water run-off.
Limited Sewer Space
There is only so much room in sewers. The increasing amount of heavy rainfall occurring more often along with increasing population levels means sewers can become overwhelmed.
Sewer Outfalls
This water that would usually soak into the ground, rushes into drains, putting more pressure on systems and overwhelming the sewage network. This can lead to ‘outfalls’ (pollution) where treatment plants cannot process all the water.
Frequent Tide-Locking
This is where high sea levels stop rivers draining away as normal, causing them to back up.
We want to ‘slow the flow’ of rainwater. This will be achieved by installing water butts and rainwater planters at residential properties - completely for free!
This slows the speed of water entering sewers and decreases pressure on our systems - especially during periods of heavy rainfall! Capturing rainwater will help reduce the impact of surface water flooding and sewage spills.
Managing rain like this complements other aspects of the project which will work in unison to improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion.
How will this be achieved?
Eligible properties will be retrofitted with rainwater water capture devices, like water butts and rainwater planters. Residents can apply through the Our Rainwater website in just a few easy steps (more information coming soon!)
Capturing rainwater directly from rooftops involves disconnecting downpipes and diverting flow into water butts or planters. The water is held here, rather than rushing straight into drains.
Imagine if we all captured water from our roofs the kind of impact this would have?
Our Rainwater Ltd,
128 City Road,
London,
EC1V 2NX
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