A classic Lambeth council moment

[Bob]

We had our flat flooded (not too badly) and Mrs Bob tries to call Lambeth council to ask about sandbags so it doesn't happen again.

Lambeth council employee: 'We don't really do floods - since there aren't any big rivers nearby'

Mrs Bob 'What about the Thames?'

:)

[Minnie_the_Minx]

We had our flat flooded (not too badly) and Mrs Bob tries to call Lambeth council to ask about sandbags so it doesn't happen again.

Lambeth council employee: 'We don't really do floods - since there aren't any big rivers nearby'

Mrs Bob 'What about the Thames?'

:)


One for the newspapers :D

[alef]

Did Skim ever tell you about our first trying to pay our council tax after moving to Lambeth last year? The phone would just keep ringing for ages and then twice someone answered and said "We're too busy right now you'll have to ring back another time" -- this is an actual person not a recording! The third time Skim just completely insisted that she had to pay right then and there, they relented. Crazy, can't think of anyone else we've ever had to fight to pay a bill.

[oryx]

I heard that Lambeth printed some leaflets in Braille and large print, then left a huge stack of them in a corridor doing nothing.....



.....where they were tripped over by a blind person.:eek:

[twisted]

One for the newspapers :D

SLP would love that one....probably The Sun/Mirror too.

[flash]

What about the issues they have with Blue Star House? (or have I got the wrong end of the stick here? - if I haven't you all probably know anyway).

[story]

We had our flat flooded (not too badly) and Mrs Bob tries to call Lambeth council to ask about sandbags so it doesn't happen again.

Lambeth council employee: 'We don't really do floods - since there aren't any big rivers nearby'

Mrs Bob 'What about the Thames?'

:)


Or indeed the Effra, which runs through Brixton and floods our street and Brixton Market in every heavy rain. The shops down Railton Road all had their cellars flooded this week, and this is normal for them.

[lang rabbie]

I may have this wrong, and he might have been up all night co-ordinating responses, but I certainly wanted to punch Lambeth's emergency planning officer yesterday morning- he was sauntering around at the Country Show in a "Safer Lambeth" polo shirt and talking to us stallholders about the theoretical risks from the Thames Barrier failing rather than the more immediate issues caused by the Effra.:mad:

[ViolentPanda]

I may have this wrong, and he might have been up all night co-ordinating responses, but I certainly wanted to punch Lambeth's emergency planning officer yesterday morning- he was sauntering around at the Country Show in a "Safer Lambeth" polo shirt and talking to us stallholders about the theoretical risks from the Thames Barrier failing rather than the more immediate issues caused by the Effra.:mad:

You should have punched him anyway, on spec. :)

[Gramsci]

Thames Water have notified residents that they are going to improve the old victorian sewers that the Effra runs in to stop the flooding.

[flash]

They have to do it everywhere at the moment (i.e. they had Wardour Street up in the last month). In short all cast iron, wrought iron or spun iron (or generally old) pipes in London are probably going to given a polyethelyene sheath (large masses of blue tubing lying about) within the next two years. Effra is on Thames Water's book for within the next 12 months (probably 6 going on the fact I was told this about 4 months ago). The theory being it takes a lot to crack polyethelene, if the iron gives way, the Poly won't (i.e. it stops the millions of leakages London has - cheaply). Bonus points - Thames Water has three abandoned mains in the footway outside of the tube station (honestly! - all the water is in three mains on the other side of Brixton Road).

Incidentally if the pipes are yellow, it's Southern Gas Networks (formerly Transco). They were in on Streatham Hill in January this year I think.

[ViolentPanda]

They have to do it everywhere at the moment (i.e. they had Wardour Street up in the last month). In short all cast iron, wrought iron or spun iron (or generally old) pipes in London are probably going to given a polyethelyene sheath (large masses of blue tubing lying about) within the next two years. Effra is on Thames Water's book for within the next 12 months (probably 6 going on the fact I was told this about 4 months ago). The theory being it takes a lot to crack polyethelene, if the iron gives way, the Poly won't (i.e. it stops the millions of leakages London has - cheaply). Bonus points - Thames Water has three abandoned mains in the footway outside of the tube station (honestly! - all the water is in three mains on the other side of Brixton Road).

Incidentally if the pipes are yellow, it's Southern Gas Networks (formerly Transco). They were in on Streatham Hill in January this year I think.

Apparently (my mum used to work for a water co) the PTFE pipe also acts as a brace and a shock absorber for the existing pipe, as well as (unlike the old iron pipes) not presenting any surface deformations for corrosion to get a foothold on.

[happyshopper]

Thames Water have notified residents that they are going to improve the old victorian sewers that the Effra runs in to stop the flooding.

The whole point is that the Effra is not a sewer, i.e. no foul water is discharged into it, only surface water.

[laptop]

They have to do it everywhere at the moment (i.e. they had Wardour Street up in the last month). In short all cast iron, wrought iron or spun iron (or generally old) pipes in London are probably going to given a polyethelyene sheath (large masses of blue tubing lying about)

Erm...

Blue pipe is for drinkable water. Input, as it were.

New sewer would be black. Output.

[ViolentPanda]

Erm...

Blue pipe is for drinkable water. Input, as it were.

New sewer would be black. Output.


He does say all old pipes, so that probably encompasses potable water too.

And what do you mean by "output"? Say what you mean! :D

[flash]

Erm...

Blue pipe is for drinkable water. Input, as it were.

New sewer would be black. Output.

Totally - your right. Just haven't seen anyone replacing sewer pipes recently though (hence didn't mention). I think TW seem to be just using blue on mass (have seen it piled up everywhere) for input and connections from the gulleys to sewers (probably some sort of cost saving initative).

Incidentally, V.P., Input is the Blue Main on a TW plan, Output is the Red Sewer on a TW plan. Input provides the water, output takes away the waste product and surface run off (current problems are caused by a number of reasons including using a standard of 1 gully per 200 square metres - which doesn't account for 10mm+ rainfall in an hour). You usually also get clear plastic supply pipes away from the hydrants, valves, small diameter mains etc supplying homes.