Member Article

Leeds drainage company completes flood defence upgrade

Leeds-based drainage company, Jet Aire, has completed a contract to refurbish a vital flood defence facility near Drax which required a daily programme of works dictated by the tidal patterns of the River Ouse.

The three-week project to upgrade a drainage pipe at Lendall Pump Station was carefully scheduled to coincide with the nearby river’s twice-daily low tides. Jet Aire’s technicians traversed within the confined space of the 1524mm-diameter pipe to reinforce ten internal joint seals. The works represented the second phase of Jet Aire’s £20,000 maintenance programme, following an exploratory CCTV survey of the pipe in 2013, and were part of a comprehensive upgrade in partnership with Skipton-based JBA Consulting on behalf of the Selby Area Internal Drainage Board. Lendall Pump Station was built in 1969 and its refurbishment is one of 72 flood defence and alleviation schemes taking place in Yorkshire since funding was announced by the Environment Agency in 2013.

Jet Aire managing director, Charlie Kirk, said: “This contract is a reflection of Jet Aire’s position as one of the few drainage contractors in the north with the service capability to carry out this type of work, which involves a higher level of risk and demands specialist expertise which can only be provided by highly qualified and experienced engineers. Our site work is always planned in accordance with local conditions and environmental sensitivities – it’s rarely nine-to-five and the tide-based programme at Lendall Pump Station is a great example of Jet Aire’s operational flexibility.”

Andrew Thomas of JBA Consulting said: “The continuous operation of Lendall Pump Station is essential to safeguard against flood risk in the local area. We are pleased to have managed the smooth completion of its refurbishment with assistance from Jet Aire, who were very easy to deal with and very efficient in supplying all the information, reporting and relevant documentation needed for the environmental assessment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Jones .