Flood prevention - new drainage schemes installed at five East Riding schools

Innovative work has been carried out at five local schools over the summer holidays by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to help prevent flooding. 

The project involved installing Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) at each school site, where the existing drainage had become completely overwhelmed at times of heavy rainfall. 

These SuDS - the first ever in the East Riding - were created at The Market Weighton School, Driffield Northfield Infant School, Beeford C of E VC Primary School, St Mary’s C of E Primary School in Beverley and Parkside Primary School in Goole. 

The SuDS are designed to prevent flooding caused by rainfall by mimicking natural ways of draining surface water and allowing it to soak through the ground or to evaporate. 

Each school presented different challenges for the council and each SuDS was tailored for each site. 

All will reduce the risk of flooding to school buildings and playgrounds and also improve resilience against climate change. 

At some schools, it involved creating new wildlife habitats, green spaces, planting trees and plants to help drainage and improve biodiversity. 

The £320,000 project was jointly funded by the council, the Department for Education and also with contributions from the schools. 

Councillor Paul West, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “This has been a fantastic scheme where much-needed drainage improvements have been made to these schools, all in an environmentally-friendly way.” 

Improvements 

The work carried out at the five schools has included: 

• Installing planters linked to drainpipes to catch rainwater from roofs, 
• Diverting drainpipes to a nearby pond, 
• Planting native trees, hedges and a wildlife habitat, 
• Introducing water butts to catch rainwater for school gardens, 
• Building an earth bund to shelter a school building, 
• Replacing solid ground with permeable stone and gravel to allow rainwater to soak through,  
• Improving the existing drainage systems. 

As part of the project, Yorkshire Water will deliver workshops in the schools to spread the word on the importance of water and the impact it can have if it’s not managed correctly.