Two new machines will be hitting the road from this summer to help keep Dorset’s roads clear of rainwater.
Dorset Highways has taken ownership of a new gully cart along with a new jetter to support the essential work of its drainage fleet, which forms part of the council’s preventative maintenance programme.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “We’ve recently committed to increasing our spend on drainage maintenance by £200k a year, and this is the first step in that journey.
“This significant investment into our drainage fleet will provide additional resource to carry out routine maintenance, as well as offer greater capacity and resilience to deal with blocked drains and flooding issues.
“Although we cannot totally protect our drains from getting blocked by road debris and falling leaves, through regular emptying of gullies and the ability to respond quickly to reports of flooding we can ensure traffic on our roads can continue to flow.”
With the new arrival, Dorset Highways gully fleet now has three, purpose-built machines which will operate across the Dorset Council network providing a proactive programme of emptying debris from highway drains which, if unchecked, can block road drainage systems.
The new jetter, which replaces a smaller towable unit, will provide greater capacity and efficiency and join the fleet of first responders to reports of flooding – with two towable units and two 7.5tonne jetter vehicles now covering the council area.
This mixed fleet approach ensures that, no matter the size of the road or its location, there is a drainage vehicle able to reach and clear any blocked gully.
Each gully cart can hold up to 5,400litres of water cleared from the road and 2,700litres of clean water for jetting.
The 7.5tonne jetter can carry 1,000litres of water, which is used at high-pressure to push through blockages. It has capacity to hold 2,000litres of waste water sucked up from blocked drains, which can also be reused as jetting water.
This investment was supported by the Highways Executive Advisory Panel, which passed its recommendation to Cabinet.
get them up castletown way Sherborne to clear the gulleys then the A30 may not be flooded ,there is a gulley at the end of the lane that goes to Frogden Quarry that i have reported several times and never cleaned.
At the moment I’m paying the person who cuts my grass to clear the drain near my property in West Milton. Are you responsible for these drains?
Hi Mrs P J Creed, as long as it’s on the public highway it would come under the responsibility of Dorset Highways. You can report drainage issues to us online: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/roads-highways-maintenance/maintenance/maintenance/drainage-and-manhole-covers for our local highways officer to investigate.
With regards to cleaning drains and gully
There are 2 major issues
1. The gutters are not being kept free of excessive weed growth, some parts it looks like the start of a field and it prevents water from finding its way into the drain.
2. When the grass is cut by the council it is normally sprayed across the roads, left to blow around and eventually find its way into the drains. In our area it is never collected.
Can we have an email address where we can report blocked street drains? I know of one in Weymouth which has been blocked most of the twenty years I have lived there.
Hi Derek, please report this online to us: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/roads-highways-maintenance/maintenance/maintenance/drainage-and-manhole-covers our local highways officer will then be able to investigate the issue.
Suggested start for new vehicles: Junction of Victoria Avenue and Northbrook Road in Swanage. Large puddles form both sides of the Avenue every time we have heavy rain.
Is there, or will there be, an easy way to report problems with a drain or ditch?
Hi P.Hall, you can report this online to us: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/roads-highways-maintenance/maintenance/maintenance/drainage-and-manhole-covers and your enquiry will be assigned to the local highways officer for investigation.
What about the potholes along greenways repaired disgusting sink coming from my sink I am sick with this won’t drink water tasting awful
Brilliant!
Great investment. When we have seen so many flooded roads, due to blocked drains, in the London area, this is obviously a situation which needs to be avoided, not least, the damage to people’s homes, gardens and businesses.
Thanks Cabinet, for that investment and further training for our wonderful road crews.
Please could a be note be made of two major flooding points which always overflow after heavy rain, due to blocked drains:
a. opposite the Fire Station, on Ringwood Road – vehicles can easily aquaplane in the deep water;
b. outside Tescos, Ringwood Road – also easy to aquaplane there, the water is so deep, covers the full width of the road.
Very many thanks.
Ann Abernethie, an appreciative resident and former Chairman of Verwood Local Action Group, known to Cllrs Spencer Flower and Toni Coombs.
Let’s hope they can get to Portland as many drains are blocked and have seen No servicing in the twenty years that I have lived here.
Excellent service from your new jetter (and of course it’s friendly and professional operator) in clearing the two blocked drains I had cause to report in Westbury, Sherborne. Thank you.
This is a great idea. We live in Casterbridge Rd and see the problems with water drainage on a regular basis.
Excellent service by operator and new Jetter, two drains outside my property blocked with lumps of tarmac and concrete after road having been resurfaced. Thank you.
How about starting with cutting back the verges (I don’t mean mowing – that’s different!) and sweeping the roads to clear the debris that gets washed into the drains. Many rural roads are narrower than they should be because of trimmings from verge and hedge cutting and fallen leaves and gravel deposited along them leaving gullies set so far back in the verge that the water misses them even if they’re cleaned out.
Excellent we have numbers blocked drains in Bradford Abbas down back lane and Westbury – some are completely full of gravel ! looks like they will be busy over the next few months