Heavy Rain and Blocked Drains = ‘Wetspots’

Published on: 12 Feb, 2013
Updated on: 12 Feb, 2013

Not a good day for pedestrians – Photo John Schluter

Sunday was not a good day for Guildford pedestrians. Even if they ventured forth with a large umbrella to protect them against the relentless rain from above they still risked being deluged with grubby rainwater from a passing vehicle.

In several areas blocked drains were causing water to lie on roads, forming large puddles.

One resident’s front path, flooded with water from the gutter – Photo John Schluter

In one area, an official ‘wetspot’ (the council term for an area with a chronic drainage problem) regularly fills with water in wet weather.

It is the lowest point in St Catherine’s Village and water drains down the Portsmouth Road, from north and south, to this point, which in former times contained the village pond.

The same path after the water had receded, leaving mud, mulch and litter

The gully drains which do not appear to be ideally positioned, frequently clog with debris, especially dead leaves from nearby trees, in particular Chestnut Trees from Chestnut Avenue (where else?), and the resulting mulch.

According to local residents pleas to the council for the drains to be cleared more frequently seem, so far, to have fallen on deaf ears.

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Responses to Heavy Rain and Blocked Drains = ‘Wetspots’

Caroline Reeves Reply

February 12, 2013 at 9:22 pm

The corner of Woodbridge Road and Artillery Road has been a ‘wet spot’ for some years, and pedestrians walking past are regularly drenched as they approach the corner.

Complaints have been made for years for the gullies to be cleared, some of the drains in Artillery Road have grass growing out of them because they are so blocked, and so the water runs down into Woodbridge Road instead of down into the drains. SCC have said there is no problem!