BUILDING ON FLOOD PLAINS IS JUST PLAIN CRAZY?

[Muddypause]

In some ways this aready happens, John. No hose pipe necessary - we use rivers instead. A river is an outfall of water that the land cannot contain, so when Thames Water Co. abstracts water from the River Thames in the east, it is utilising excess water from the wetter west, where the river originates. Consider also, that Birmingham's water comes from the flooded valleys of Wales. But I have to say I'm not sure how inter-connected different water supplies are. Perhaps there is some link-up between reservoirs? And maybe the canal system could be useful, too - it transports water as well as boats.

I would be a little concerned about piping water from Scotish lochs to southern England (I think some Scots would be a little concerned, too). I think it may have an environmental impact. I expect we in the south could happily use several lochs full if we could. This could have a dramatic effect on the local ecology.

[ina]

I would be a little concerned about piping water from Scotish lochs to southern England (I think some Scots would be a little concerned, too).

Oh yes, we would!

I believe humankind should rather learn (again) to live where the resources are, than shift the resources around to suit them... Nowadays people move to where the jobs are. In more agricultural times the jobs were where the soil, climate and water supply were right.

Saying that, I don't think we'd appreciate a massive influx of southeners up here! Nothing is perfect, as usual.

[john]

Hi ALL,the point I was trying to make is just how simple it would be to run a pipeline from say Aberdeen to say Norwich,to save Billions being wasted on something that say Scotland get to much of,and we don't,which is free when it comes down as rainfall on our country. The land owners don't have to pay for it,but we all do if it come out of a tap fitted to a pipeline,no matter where we live. Here's a thought what's more important,water to drink,or water to grow things,as we have a hose pipe ban now. John. JRP.

[john]

DESERT TURNS TO ' A SEA' AS FlASH FLOODS KILL 150,as reported in our local news paper.

FLASH FLOODS in the Indian state of Rajasthan have turned huge swathes of desert into "A SEA" killing more than 150 people.
Thousands more are perched on sand dunes waiting for the water to recede. METEOROLOGISTS described the floods in the THAR DESERT along India's western border with Pakistan as a " ONCE-IN-200-YEAR EVENT". The deluge was almost FOUR TIMES THE AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL for the region and it FELL IN ONLY FOUR DAYS.
In the worst affected areas, between the towns of Barmer and Jaisalmer,WATER LEVELS HAVE REACHED 25-30ft,DOWNING UP TO 100,000 HEAD OF LIVESTOCK. The armed forces have mounted a HUGE RELIEF WORK EFFORT, DROPPING 76,000 FOOD PARCELS BY HELICOPTER across LAND WHICH WERE THE FOCUS OF ENTENCE DROUGH RELIEF WORK TWO WEEKS AGO.
Part of the NETWORK OF MUD DAMS,designed to hold precious rain for the dry season,HAVE BEEN WASHED AWAY,raising fears that the excessive rain might bring further DROUGHT PROBLEMS. LAST YEAR Barmer had 102mm (4in) of rain. LAST WEEK SOME 577mm (22.7in) fell in FIVE DAYS. THE COST OF DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN £220 million.
MANY RESIDENTS WERE SLOW TO REACT TO EVACUATION WARNINGS, a farmer said "WE USED TO DIE FOR WATER;WE HOPED FOR FLOODS. So we didn't take the WARNING SERIOUSLY because of that."
(ME)
Could this happen to places where we have built on flood plains,are we taking the weather warning seriously "ONCE-IN-200-YEARS it happened in India,in a place where having a drought situation is a normal problem. We are a island surrounded by water,yet we are having a drought situation in the South East,is this a sign that we too could have flash floods of 22-7in of rain in the future,I hope not.
May you and yours live long and happy. John.J.R.P.

[Stonehead]

Hi ALL,the point I was trying to make is just how simple it would be to run a pipeline from say Aberdeen to say Norwich,to save Billions being wasted on something that say Scotland get to much of,and we don't,which is free when it comes down as rainfall on our country. The land owners don't have to pay for it,but we all do if it come out of a tap fitted to a pipeline,no matter where we live. Here's a thought what's more important,water to drink,or water to grow things,as we have a hose pipe ban now. John. JRP.

Scotland doesn't actually get as much rainfall as you think and it's getting less. Our borehole ran dry due to decreased rainfall on our catchment and we've come across a lot of people in a similar situation.

So instead of using up all the water in the south and then grabbing the water from the north and west, I suggest people start using rather less water.

As for building on floodplains, building higher houses only stops one part of the problem. The much larger problem is the amount of concrete and bitumen hard standing that goes into the modern housing and business developments.

The rain cannot soak into the ground, runs off the hardstanding and either flows somewhere else if the stormwater systems are adequate or causes major and fast flowing floods that cause huge damage.

[baldowrie]

In Lincolnshire before the water courses (dykes) were built houses there were built with just a mud floor. The occupants would live in the entire house during the summer and in winter move everything up stairs and the boat (punt) would be in the living room so to speak. I am not saying this is the way to go these days but the concept of houses being flooded every winter is not a new one.

I would agree with Stonehead, we don't get as much rain as southerners seem to think we do.

[the.fee.fairy]

How about not bulding so many new houses...

Swathes and swathes of our green land is being eaten up be councils and development greed, to make new housing estates...most of them, as stoney says, covered in concrete and hardstanding.

Meanwhile, there are planty of properties owned by people who want a second house, or who have inherited it, and are allowing the property to rot. Its about time someone started looking into reclaiming rotting empty property from the owners and using it to house people...as it was originally built for. maybe then, there wouldn't be as large a housing crisis as there is now.

Then, of course, there are other issues, such as why we're needing more housing (divorce, immigrants, excess population etc). if these issues were also addressed (as they are in other countries) then personally, i believe that our housing problems would be a great deal decreased.

[john]

HI ALL,the point I was trying tomake is building on FLOOD PLAINS puts lives at risk,if you don't do things right from the start,plus the fact tides are at their highest level for 20 years as I read in my local news paper dated the 7-9-2006.
NORTH KENT is bracing itself for UNUSUALLY HIGH SPRING TIDES.
The Environment Agency issued A WARNING LAST WEEK that tides WHICH AFFECTS THE THAMES could reach their highest levels for 20 years,and up to 4 cm HIGHER THAN USUAL.
Tide heights are governed by the gravitational PULL OF THE SUN AND THE MOON which vary throughout the year,and between years.
Spring tides are higher than normal and occur twice a month. IN THIS CASE these high tides will happen at about the same time as the SEPTEMBER EQUINOX,when the SUN CROSSES THE EQUATOR and its GRAVITATIONAL PULL is AT ITS GREATEST.
A spokesman for the ENVIRONMENT AGENCY said: "The high tides should pass with no consequences. But at this stage,WE CAN'T SAY THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE NO FLOODING.
"If THE WORST HAPPENS,the Environment Agency services will INITIATE TRIED AND TESTED FLOOD MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES.
"This includes PREDICTING any FLOODING and WARNING PEOPLE IN ADVANCE WHERE WE CAN,operating flood defences and IF NECESSARY EVACUATING PEOPLE from AREAS OF GREATEST RISK as a PRECAUTION."
The Environment Agency PLANS TO PROVIDE UP TO 12 HOURS ADVANCE WARNING OF POTENTIAL FLOODING,but in EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES there could be just TWO HOURS WARNING.
IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD RISK AREA,CHECK the Environment Agency's website www.environment-agency.gov.uk or call Floodline on 0845 988 1188.
(ME)
I hope its not a case of all talk,and no doing when there are so many people living on flood plains, when they could be living some where else.
May every one live long and happy. John. J.R.P.

[the.fee.fairy]

so its just the flood plains you're worried about...

ok.