£20m project aims to fight ‘unique’ flood threats
Significant flood defenses protecting large areas of the Norfolk Broads are being strengthened for the future as £20 million work takes shape.
Eleven pump stations in the Upper Thurne catchment are being upgraded, helping to protect more than 700 properties and nature areas across 15,500 acres at high risk of flooding due to hazards from both storm surges and heavy rainfall.
The new technology will increase water pumping capacity by 50%, according to the Water Management Association (WMA), a group of inland drainage boards in Norfolk and Suffolk.
WMA chief operating officer Mark Philpot said the plan would make the Broads “more dynamic and adaptable” to climate change.
Two electric pump stations were installed next to the Horsey wind pump, built in the early 20th century. [Water Management Alliance]
Why is it necessary?
More than 2,000 years ago the Broads were a large estuary, but over several centuries the land was drained by diverting rivers, digging drainage channels and using wind pumps to move water.
Protected wetlands make up around 1% of the country’s land area but are home to a quarter of Britain’s rarest wildlife. The changing climate puts these habitats under threat.
Extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels are placing increasing pressures on the Broads, with prolonged flooding, tidal surges and salt inundation threatening sensitive freshwater habitats in the region.
Villagers living in places such as Hickling and Potter Heigham faced long-term floods two years ago, and some households were unable to use their toilets because their sewage systems were filled with floodwater.
However, during the summer months the region is also particularly vulnerable to drought; This means water levels require careful management.
WMA chief operating officer Matthew Philpot said: “Upper Thurne is a very special part of the Broads because it is home to many important wildlife reserves and communities that rely on flood defences.
“Norfolk has unique flood threats from the sea, rivers and sky.
“Any type of flooding can occur and the Broads in particular are very low lying so there is a lot of infrastructure that we rely on to keep us dry.”
Pumping station at St Benets on the Norfolk Broads [Water Management Alliance]
What are pump stations for?
Many of the reclaimed areas are located next to the historic wind pumps that helped dry the Broads land for centuries, and the buildings remain a significant feature of the landscape.
The technology was introduced by Dutch engineers in the 17th century and modern pumping stations work in a similar way, but the way they are operated has changed.
Although the method is similar, the new facilities are now much more efficient, Philpot said.
“The technology uses the same principle; you basically lift water from a lower level to a higher level to keep these areas dry,” he said.
“We switched from wind to diesel and now we run on electricity.
“We tend to put our pumps in the same location because they knew where the best place to pump on the land was. We’re following in their footsteps.”
Matthew Philpot, chief operating officer of the Water Management Alliance, says the changes will make the Broads region more adaptable to climate change [Owen Sennitt/BBC]
Why do they need an upgrade?
To better prepare for the future, WMA aims to upgrade its pump stations with modern, much more efficient facilities capable of discharging 50% more water.
The current project aims to replace 11 stations over ten years at a cost of around £3.5 million for each site in the Upper Thurne catchment, which includes villages such as Hickling, Martham and Potter Heigham.
But Philpot added that there were ambitions to eventually replace all 37 pump stations on the Broads.
At Horsey, where the finishing touches are being made, the two pumps will each be able to move up to 375 liters (82 gallons) of water per second.
A new pumping station has also been installed at St Benet’s.
WMA said the replacement pump stations were mostly built in the 1950s and are now “significantly beyond the end of their design life.”
More “fish-friendly” technology is also being used and pumps will be able to better control the level of water transported to ensure water levels are managed during drier periods.
The pump station will help control water levels in the Horsey area [Owen Sennitt/BBC]
The £20m funding package comes as part of the £1.4bn investment in flood protection announced by the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in March this year.
Other areas to benefit include Poole Port, Somerset and Kendal in Cumbria.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We are very supportive of work to improve pump stations in Upper Thurne.
“These are particularly important because they will help support the effective management of a unique, diverse and highly managed landscape that is low-lying and below sea level.”
The EA added that it was supporting other projects to manage flood risk and resilience in Norfolk, including improvements to Great Yarmouth defenses and £1.5 million for the maintenance of floodwalls and other river maintenance projects.
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