A series of ‘rain gardens’ will be the first of their kind installed in Kent to manage flooding and will be installed on Dolphins Road and Wingate Road.
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways Matthew Balfour
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways Matthew Balfour
us options and the most useful solution was the rain gardens.
“This inventive initiative will increase the amount of water captured on Dolphins Road and provide storage below the rain gardens that then control the rate that water flows into the sewer.
“The tank lets the water out into the sewer at a much slower rate than conventional highway gullies and so won’t overwhelm the network.”
Flooding frequently occurs on the nearby Downs Road following heavy rain which directly affects homes and causes a hazard on the roads.
A number of factors are responsible for flooding including the size of the sewers on Downs Road and the amount of water coming from the surrounding areas.
This is particularly apparent on Dolphins Road where water flows quickly due to the steepness of the hill and water flows down it and then overwhelms the drains.
The rain gardens – 17 in total – will be installed at the side of the road and water will pass through the planting layer on the top and into a small storage tank below.
If the storage tank is overwhelmed, the rain garden is fitted with an overflow pipe which sends water directly into the sewer.
The top of the rain gardens will have plants and will provide a small green space in the street. Work began in late April and is expected to take up to 12 weeks to complete.
KCC has been working in partnership with Southern Water to investigate and develop options to reduce the risk of flooding.
Southern Water is currently investigating proposals to install additional storage into the drainage network with the aim of further reducing the risk of flooding in the area.
