Dingwall Drainage Works Pay Their Way

New flood prevention equipment installed at the Boggan Burn, Blackwells Street, Dingwall, following the floods of October 2006 has passed its first test, according to The Highland Council.

A new trash screen and inlet – installed at a cost of £150,000 - performed well in response to heavy rain in the Dingwall area last weekend which took the burn to its highest level since the floods.
The screen kept a significant amount of debris out of the culvert. Wooden boards, pieces of wood, plastic bags, polystyrene and bottles were effectively trapped and prevented from causing a culvert blockage. A fair amount of rubbish was removed from the screen over the weekend.
 
Geoff Potter, Project Design Manager with the Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: “Householders in the vicinity of any watercourse need to remain vigilant at all times and take steps to prevent any debris being washed into steams and watercourses and potentially causing flooding. Trash screens are prone to blockage and it is often the first sudden heavy flow of water which washes down debris which has been dumped or accidentally ends up in the burns. Trash screens are a necessary device for keeping debris out of the culverts which may otherwise block. The screens also ensure that children and animals cannot access these hazardous areas.”
 
Early next year, as an extra safety measure, the Council is going to install an innovative warning system as a trial at the Boggan Burn inlet. The equipment will continuously monitor the water levels and will issue alarm warnings and photographs to the Council via the mobile telephone network during flood conditions. This will enable to Council record the flow of water, the condition of the inlet and to allow a more effective reaction to potential problems at the earliest possible time.
   
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