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Well according to the graph, we've got the same amount of rain now that we had back at the turn of the century but shared by twice as many people. So either we've not created enough reservoirs to keep up with growth or Observer is spending too long in the shower. The easy option is always to do nowt and blame the public or even better, blame the climate because that can't argue back.  

The problem as I see it is that nobody want's to spend money on something that isn't a problem right now.

If we did spend money now on more reservoirs, people wouldn't see any benefit and just moan about their bills going up.  Then in fifty years time when the taps do'n't run dry, nobody would say thank you very much for a problem that we haven't got.

Don't spend the money and again, people won't see any benefit but at least there'd  be no moaning. But in fifty years time when the taps run dry, people will moan but at least they'll be more receptive to money being spent.

Either way, people will moan and although the first option seems more logical, it's unlikely to happen. 

 

Bill :)

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But Bill, they are spending money - on green energy schemes, filling up green fields with wind and solar farms, the output from which, may be questionable.  Hydro -electric schemes are the three for one option -  1. flood catchment  2. water storage and   3.  energy supply.  Estuary barriers (three for one offer)  1. hydro - electric  turbine generation from outgoing river water and incoming tides, especially in flood.  2. defence against storm surges from the sea.   and   3. road links across main estuaries .   

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  • 10 months later...
On 3/19/2019 at 7:53 PM, Davy51 said:

Perhaps these top water boffins are not up to the job. As you say,  more reservoirs would solve the problem & ,if strategically placed ,could collect excess rainwater ,prevent damaging floods & possibly power hydro electric schemes. No doubt any solution will involve a hefty contribution from  the customers to  achieve greatly increased profits for water companies.

And also create a lovely area of peace and quiet to enjoy in the summer months.

It's a win win situation.

Image result for beautiful reservoir

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Perhaps if a fraction of the £Billions spent subsidising so-called "renewable energy" had been spent on dredging and maintaining our waterways, the damage caused by the not unprecedented rainfall of recent years may have been avoided. File under "What did the EU do for us" (See: The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC ).

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As I remember, not that long-ago Warrington used to be on the list of the top ten towns classed as being at high risk from flooding. I think the early topographic computer models didn’t factor in the ship canal, so for years we probably paid over the odds for our home insurance. Looking at the current maps though, we don’t seem to be at any risk of flooding from rainstorms and the only threat is from storm surges coupled with a high tide. But that's always been the case.

When I moved to Woolston in the seventies, the fields just past the Rope and Anchor pub were all marsh land so I was a bit surprised when the whole area was developed for housing. Then a few years back, I was helping a mate who lives there to dig a small hole to plant a small tree and unsurprisingly, we only got down a foot or so and the hole was filling with water. I don't know if all marshy land near a river is classed as a flood plain but I certainly wouldn't want to live there. 

 

Bill :)

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I think dredging would give more room for whatever water there is without it spilling over the banks. Indeed the tide doesn't help when it meets the water flowing down river but if you get rid of the mud it could turn a pint container into a gallon one ,so to speak.

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Just been thinking more about this dredging thing and if it would have any effect?

Suppose instead of just dredging out a few feet of mud, we could dredge down a mile deep, and do it all the way to Liverpool.

Surely the resulting big hole would just fill up with water and within a few minutes it would be back to exactly where it started from and that mile of water would simply stay there doing nothing forever.

Or have I got that completely wrong?

 

Bill 😊

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On 2/26/2020 at 4:03 PM, Bill said:

Just been thinking more about this dredging thing and if it would have any effect?

Suppose instead of just dredging out a few feet of mud, we could dredge down a mile deep, and do it all the way to Liverpool.

Surely the resulting big hole would just fill up with water and within a few minutes it would be back to exactly where it started from and that mile of water would simply stay there doing nothing forever.

Or have I got that completely wrong?

 

Bill 😊

It's not the volume of water that's the problem Bill, it's the rate at which it can be drained. So the waterways silting up restricts the rate of flow and the water backs up. Dredging increases the flow rate and reduces the volume backed up.

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That’s true in most cases but the Mersey’s tidal so no mater how much dredging you do, when the tide comes in the water levels rise and that’s when the flooding gets bad. I think if we could do a Canute and make the tide stay out, we’d have a greater height differential so water could flow away faster.

On a spring tide, the water flows right over the town weir and goes up as far as the one at Woolston. I thought the world had tipped on its axis or something when I once saw the water running backwards through Woolston park. It was like a mini tsunami that back washed all the crap from somewhere downstream including a million plastic bottles, polystyrene food containers and 13 footballs (yes I counted them and took a picture).

Anyway, my heads hurting now with all this fluid dynamic stuff so time for a fluid nightcap!

 

Bill :)

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  • 3 years later...

Seems nothing changes -  our incompetant, self seeking politicians, have allowed privatised Thames Water to milk their customers for the benefit of share holders, while neglecting their duty to provide clean fresh water and sanitation.  No new reservoir has been built in over 30 years.  😠

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