Engineering, Drainage and Water (EDWT)

The Engineering, Water and Drainage Team has a three-fold role within the Environment and Street Scene Directorate covering flooding and land drainage; land and water quality; and private sector drainage.

What we do:

1) Flooding and Land Drainage

The main function of the team under flooding and land drainage duties is to limit and control damage from flooding by forward planning and making sure the district’s surface water and land drainage systems perform satisfactorily.

This includes:

Management of district flood defence assets
• Flood Storage Reseviors
• Storm points
Annual Watercourse Maintenance Contract
Telemetry
CCTV
Identifying areas of flood risk and pursuing schemes for flood alleviation
Principal Ordinary Watercourses (POW’s)
Administration of Land Drainage Byelaws
Land Drainage consents
Planning and Development - Specialist advice to the Planning Directorate
Rreviewing of Planning applications and Flood Risk Assessments – PPS25
Enforcement Action under 1991 and 1994 Land Drainage Acts and Byelaws 2005
Management of the District’s Watercourses/Drainage Systems
Emergency planning for flooding and Emergency Response
Advice and Liaison with other Authorities in respect of Land Drainage matters

2) Land and Water Quality

The main function of the team under land and water quality duties is to safeguard the environment and protect human health from the impacts of contamination and pollution.

Contaminated Land
Private Water Supplies
Drinking Water Quality
Pollution Incidents

3) Private Sector Drainage

The main function of the team under private sector drainage is to investigate problems with drainage throughout the district and ensure that blockages in private and public sewers are dealt with by the responsible persons.

Private Sector Drainage
Management & Maintenance of Small Sewage Treatment Works (SSTWs)

1) Flooding and Drainage

Management of the district’s flood defence assets

• Flood storage reservoirs

As a result of a long history of serious local flooding from rivers and watercourses, the Council has either on its own (at North Weald) or in conjunction with the Environment Agency (at Loughton and Thornwood) carried out construction of a series of flood alleviation schemes. 

Under the Reservoirs Act of 1930, this Authority has a statutory duty to maintain those reservoirs (flood alleviation schemes) which it has constructed. It also has a practical duty to ensure that the investment of over £4m in those schemes is realised by ensuring that they continue to operate to alleviate flooding.  This is achieved through regular operation and maintenance using the Council’s Annual Maintenance contract.

• Storm points

The other significant flood defence asset maintained by the Council is a system of over 50 storm points (trash-grilles/screens) throughout the District. These screens protect critical culverts from blocking allowing any debris to be collected before it enters and blocks the culvert.
We regularly inspect storm grilles and watercourses that are liable to block and flood during storm events.

The Annual Watercourse Maintenance Contract (AMC)

The Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) that the Council has with a specialist contractor ensures the upkeep and maintenance of flood defence assets that have been constructed by the Authority or are on Council owned land.

The annual maintenance of rivers and watercourses for which the Authority is Riparian Owner under Common Law (by way of adjacent land ownership) is carried out by the EDWT section by utilisation of the Annual Maintenance Contractor

Telemetry

The flood storage reservoirs within the district are fitted with Telemetry which monitors water levels. The assets can be checked remotely, 24 hours a day to ensure they are functioning correctly and that there are no issues, especially during storm events.

CCTV

The Engineering, Drainage and Water team uses CCTV to closely monitor a strategic storm grill within the district. The grill is particularly susceptible to becoming clogged during storm events, and residential and commercial properties become at risk of flooding if this occurs. We are able to monitor the storm grill remotely, 24 hours a day to ensure the grill is kept clear at all times to reduce the risk of flooding to residential and commercial properties.*
(*The Environment Agency is actually responsible for clearance of this grille as it is on a ‘main river’ water course, however the EDWT monitor the grille for additional safety.)

Identifying areas of flood risk and pursuing schemes for flood alleviation schemes

There are many local areas of flooding which still need addressing and schemes for Nazeing, Buckhurst Hill And Abridge are currently at feasibility study stage.

The Environment Agency management activities include carrying out specific projects to protect areas that are particularly prone to flooding.

Recent projects include the Waltham Abbey (Upshire) flood alleviation scheme, North Weald and Thornhill flood alleviation schemes; and, working with the Environment Agency, the Loughton Brook and Thornwood schemes. We are now monitoring and maintaining these schemes on a regular basis to ensure their continuing effectiveness.

Other drainage projects include correcting bank erosion problems. As the riparian owner, we must make sure our land and adjoining highways and footways are secure.

Ordinary Watercourses and Main Rivers

Ordinary Watercourses are maintained by the Riparian owners. Maintenance and upkeep of watercourses is the responsibility of riparian owners. A riparian owner is anyone who owns a property alongside a watercourse. Click here for more information on Riparian Responsibilities.

Main Rivers are usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. They appear on a ‘main river’ map as they are deemed by the Environment Agency as being of strategic importance.

Administration of Land Drainage Byelaws

Under the Land Drainage Act 1976 the Council was given powers to introduce its own Land Drainage Byelaws and these were introduced in 1983.  These Byelaws conferred, amongst other powers, the right for the Council to issue Land Drainage consents for any works on, over or within 8 metres of an ordinary watercourse. The administration of the system of consents is with the proviso that the Council's powers are only valid, if the Council is acting to prevent, mitigate or minimise the risk of flooding.

Land Drainage Consents

The Epping Forest District Land Drainage bye-laws say that formal agreement must be granted for any new development or re-development on, over, adjoining or connecting to a watercourse. Most ‘land drainage consent’ applications are identified during the planning or building control stages. This control is important, as uncontrolled development can cause flooding by generating large volumes of extra water, or blocking or constricting existing watercourses.

We regularly inspect works carried out on watercourses by land owners, and works carried out within 8 metres of watercourses that require land drainage consent.

Planning and development - Specialist advice to the Planning Service to manage flood risk of new developments

The Engineering, Drainage and Water Team is consulted by the Planning Directorate on any development which may increase flood risk or may be affected by the Land Drainage Byelaws (i.e. within 8m of a watercourse). Engineers Review larger planning applications for compliance with PPS25 and recommending conditions for planning consents.

The measures implemented through planning controls (conditions) and land drainage consents are aimed at minimising surface run-off (through attenuation and sustainable drainage systems – SUDS) rather than just maintaining the efficiency of the existing system.  This approach is known as Source Control of run-off which is one of the Government’s preferred initiatives.

EFDC has introduced Flood Risk Assessment Zones (FRAZ’s) which are catchments of watercourses identified by the council that may contribute to Main River watercourses or where there is a known risk or history of flooding.  Within these zones any large developments will require a site specific Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) to demonstrate that the development will not increase risk of flooding either on site or downstream as a consequence of possible increases in storm runoff that may be generated.

This is so that decisions on plans and applications in areas of existing and future developments can take full account of flood risk, both to the development itself and off site.
For further information on Planning and Development please click here

Enforcement Action under 1991 and 1994 Land Drainage Acts and Byelaws 2005

By statute, the infringement of the Acts and Byelaws is a criminal offence and the Council can prosecute offenders and/or carry out necessary and appropriate remedial works which the offender is legally liable to pay for. 

Anyone who owns land or property adjacent to a watercourse must have our agreement to carry out works within eight metres of the watercourse. If we have not agreed, and the works affect the satisfactory operation of the drainage system, we can take legal action for the owner to remove the works.

Management and maintenance of the District’s Watercourses/Drainage Systems

Under the district’s bye-laws, routine maintenance and upkeep of watercourses is the responsibility of riparian owners. A riparian owner is anyone who owns a property alongside a watercourse. For further information see the section on Riparian Owners - Guidance Notes
For some watercourses and channels, this means Epping Forest District Council is the riparian owner and has riparian responsibilities.

In practice this means regular inspection of the District’s watercourses to ensure they are free running, not suffering from encroachment or from illegal tipping, blocking or other activities which could restrict the flow of water in them.  It also entails identifying where maintenance, rehabilitation or new works are required to ensure a satisfactory system of drainage.  Minor works are designed in house and carried out by the Annual Maintenance Contractor under the supervision of the Engineering, Drainage and Water Team.

The Council’s contractor also routinely clears storm drainage grilles, which protect piped watercourses or pipes under roads, to make sure they do not get blocked and cause flooding.

The Environment Agency manages and polices the main rivers, also undertaking its own clearance and maintenance activities.

Emergency planning for flooding and Emergency Response

The Engineering Drainage and Water Team’s activities in this area include responsibility for drawing up the action plan for response to severe weather warnings and Environment Agency flood warnings.
This necessarily includes close liaison with the EA, Council and County emergency planners such that warnings are effectively understood and responded to.  In practice, for minor local flooding this means direct mobilisation of the Annual Maintenance Contractor to either deliver and place sandbags, or to undertake emergency clearance.

For larger incidents the whole section is mobilised (through the emergency planning team) to monitor and manage the District’s flood defence assets and work with the public and emergency services to ensure as effective a response as is possible. 

We offer an emergency supply of sandbags if there is an unexpected and serious threat of flooding. Sandbags can be sent to sites where the current levels of protection are likely to fail, resulting in flood damage to buildings or their contents.

Please note, this is a voluntary service ¬ we cannot guarantee to place sandbags at all the sites that might need them, it is the residents or owners responsibility to protect themselves.
In an emergency Call 01992 564 000

Advice and Liaison with other Authorities in respect of Land Drainage and Flooding matters

We are in regular contact with various Authorities including Town Councils, Parish Councils, Neighboring District Councils, Essex County Council, The Environment Agency, Lee Valley Regional Parks Authority, and The Corporation of London.

2) Land and Water Quality

Contaminated Land

The section administers the Council’s Contaminated Land Strategy and is responsible for the prioritisation and investigation of land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act (1990).

Private Water Supplies

Private water supplies encompass any supply not provided by a licensed water undertaker or which is distributed via a private distribution network. The section monitors water quality, carries out risk assessments and enforces water quality standards in accordance with the Private Water Supplies Regulations (England) 2009.

Drinking Water Quality

The section keeps itself informed as to the quality of water within the public supply system. It works with water undertakers to identify water quality issues and liaises during incidents affecting water quality or continuity of supply.

Pollution Incidents

Where contamination may impact on human health, the EDWT will investigate and seek to remedy the problem by offering advice, and where appropriate, by taking enforcement action. For issues involving the pollution of the water environment or larger industrial operations, the section works closely with the Environment Agency, who acts as the enforcing authority.

3) Private Sector Drainage

Private Sector Drainage

The role of the Private Drainage Officers within the Engineering, Drainage and Water Team is to protect public health where a blockage or defect occurs on a private sewer.  If the person responsible for the drain or sewer can not or does not take action to ensure the sewer/drain operates properly, a legal notice will be served requiring work to be completed within a specified period of time.  Should the individual on whom the notice has been served fail to comply with its requirements within the time specified, the Council will appoint a contractor to carry out the work in default.  The costs of such works plus an administrative charge will be recharged to the owners or occupiers responsible for the sewer/drain.

For further information on Private Sector Drainage please click here

Management & Maintenance of Small Sewage Treatment Works (SSTWs)

The Engineering, Drainage and Water Team manages a number of Small Sewage Treatment Plants and Sewage Pumping Stations on behalf of the Housing Directorate that serve residential properties in rural areas where there are no public sewers.
These assets are checked and serviced on a regular basis to ensure the properties that they serve are not affected by any mechanical failures.