TANKERS AWAY ALL OVER THE PLACE!

Just a little missive sent to us here at the Waverley Web.

Dear All,

My Thames Water Drain/Sewer Alert Dobba alarm sounded at 17:30hrs today, Thursday 31st May 2018.

The Patio at the back was flooded, possibly just rainwater.

I telephoned Thames Water Emergency (number on the back of Dobba house unit) and reported Sewerage System blocked. I was told by the young lady who took my call and details that Thames Water would attend within 4 hours.

Next, I checked the Drain at the Front of the house (which was installed about 30+ years again to ameliorate the Flooding in the back gardens in the properties to the East of Loxwood Road – this Drain discharges into a Culvert just to the North of Clappers Meadow). The Drain was almost to capacity (whereas usually there isn’t even a trickle of water), indicating that the System into which the local Thames Water Pump Station can discharge excess fluid would be beyond capacity. That worries me greatly – does the Culvert and Stream require clearing of obstructions?

After Dinner, I went out to Choir Practice at 19:20hrs (at St John the Baptist, Loxwood), getting back Home at 21:50hrs.

In my absence, Thames Water telephoned to say that they had been delayed, and would be an hour late.  Incidentally, the Dobba alarm sounded again at about 19:20hrs today.

Now, my memory on the ‘end’ of the previous Shenanigans is perfectly clear from my contemporaneous notes – Thames Water stated that it was anticipating that the Requested Development at Care Ashore would succeed, in which case the sewage from Alfold Pumping Station would be diverted into the Care Ashore Development Sewers and thence to Cranleigh Processing Facility (which is already beyond capacity in conditions like today).

So, Thames Water has been ‘caught out’ – the Care Ashore Development has been Rejected, apparently in favor of the larger Dunsfold Park Development, and hence Thames Water MUST complete the Sewerage Works still outstanding for Alfold. Anything less must be regarded as a dereliction of duty and gross professional misconduct on the part of Thames Water.

Meanwhile, I have received a visit from a Thames Water’s Agent Technician at 23:15hrs – he informed me that Tankering is underway at the Pumping Station and that, all being well (and until the next heavy rainstorm), the situation should be resolved by 12:00hrs, Friday 1st June 2018. Message timed at 23:30hrs, Thursday 31st May 2018.

Kind Regards
Peter Hartley

(Aut viam inveniam aut faciam !)
_________________________
Peter L HARTLEY, MSc, CAET, MInstP, MIET, MAOC

Consultant Engineer: Systems Engineering, Science & Technology Support
UK Editor: Defense Updating this email

From: Kevin Deanus <Kevin.Deanus@waverley.gov.uk>
Sent: 31 May 2018 23:18
To: ‘Richard Watson’ <richard.watson542@btinternet.com>; ‘Bryan Jelley’ <bmjelley@yahoo.co.uk>; ‘Trish Loveland’ <ploveland222@btinternet.com>; ‘Peter Hartley’ <hartleysworld@Yahoo.co.uk>; ‘Malcolm Skipp’ <malcolm.skipp11@onetel.com>; Alfold Clerk <clerk@alfoldparishcouncil.co.uk>; sharonadrian@btinternet.com
Subject: RE: DOBBA

Just to keep you in the loop. I have emailed the management team at Thames Water with an initial take on the situation.

I will speak to them on Monday with a fuller picture. Any update then please let me know. Old pipes that are past their sell-by date can only be dealt with by replacing all the outdated pipes in Alfold.

I will also update our MP Anne Milton

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Deanus
Councillor Alfold, Cranleigh Rural, and Ellens Green.
Portfolio Holder for Community Services.
From: Richard Watson 
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018, 11:07 PM GMT Standard Time
To: Bryan Jelley; Trish Loveland; Peter Hartley; Malcolm Skipp; Alfold Clerk; 
Cc: Kevin Deanus
Subject: FW: DOBBA
23:00 – Lanes’ man just called at the door to say a tanker is at the pumping station ‘doing the business’. He had been sent out with his ‘combo’ vehicle, as he’d been told there was a blockage that needed clearing…. so TW’s communications are predictably useless. You’d think by now they should know exactly what the problem is here.
RW

From: Richard Watson
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018, 9:36 PM
To: Afold Parish Clerk ; Bryan Jelley ; Peter Hartley ; Mike Wain ; Malcolm Skipp ; Trish Loveland
Cc: Kevin Deanus
Subject: Re: DOBBA

Lady from Lanes just called at 21:30 to say the engineer has been delayed in traffic but should be here within the hour. As before I said there’s no point in coming to this house as the system is backed up generally and the only thing he can do is check the pumping station. She seemed to know that a tanker is being despatched. I see that the level has gone down slightly in the last hour.
Cheers,
Richard

From: Afold Parish Clerk
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 8:14 PM
To: Bryan Jelley ; Richard Watson ; Peter Hartley ; Mike Wain ; Malcolm Skipp
Cc: Trish Loveland ; Kevin Deanus
Subject: Re: DOBBA

All,

Adrian reported to Thames Water a couple of hours ago as lavatories gurgling in Clappers Meadow. Tankers are on the way and should be with you in three to four hours. No further rain is forecast. I hope that all of you have reported to TW.

Obviously, we’ll be following this up with Thames Water in the morning and will update you. Please also keep me updated from your end.

Best,

Beverley

On Thu, May 31, 2018, at 8:03 PM +0100, “Bryan Jelley” <bmjelley@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Hi All

I hadn’t realised there was a problem until I noticed the sewer was overflowing. I found the batteries in the DOBBA sounder had gone flat even though I changed them at the beginning of the winter, they seem to have a short life.

So much for TW’s Flood Forum statement that the sewer had been flooded (unnoticed by everyone) and “as no one had flooded their work had been successful”. Are they still going to stick to that false claim?

I have reported the incident to TW.

Bryan Jelley