Project Groundwater (Greater Lincolnshire)

Project Groundwater Greater Lincolnshire is working on six key principles:

Our desired outcomes are to gain a greater understand groundwater and detail the impact it has not only on Lincolnshire as a county but also on its people, communities and farmlands, not just for now but also for the future. As well as this we aim to develop innovative solutions to help manage some of the groundwater flooding issues across the county wide area and generate legal understandings that will provide a knowledge base to future proof others against groundwater issues.

Trial Communities

As part of the bid for this project, LCC chose several trial community areas that had significant issues with groundwater flooding, work is now ongoing in each of those communities to understand and mitigate against the issues there.

Grimsby Saltings Allotment - Background

A section of Saltings allotments in Grimsby has been left derelict for over 20 years due to constant groundwater flooding. Properties surrounding this allotment site have also been subjected to groundwater flooding issues for many years and as such the project has been brought on board to change the redundant allotment site into a wetland nature park. The wetland site will be designed in a way that enables the capture of flooding water to prevent the overwhelming of the combined sewer system, by the creation of 3 ponds and also grant access to the public to use as a recreation site with benches, walkways and information points to identify wildlife, plants, trees and creatures that will inhabit the wetland.

Grimsby Saltings Allotment – Current situation

• Conversion of part of allotment into a wetland due to historic flooding
• Change of usage was required - secretary of state letter approving change supplied within 6 working day instead of the estimated 1.5-2 years.
• Initial soil samples and borehole analysis identified levels of sand under the top clay layers. Further areas to be analysed following discussions with hydrologists.
• Gas pipe has been detected in the Eastern triangle, Cadent gas to mark location for works to continue in that area without issue.
• Ecological survey undertaken on 31^st May – report showed no protected species, only nesting birds to be considered for scheduling works
• Planning pre-APP in the system, additions to be added as and when the designs for the wetlands are known
• Strategic Wetland vision has been offered to 4 companies; WWT, Salix, Onsite and Lincs Wildlife trust
• Ongoing discussions for access from highways for construction traffic, and procurement process is underway for clearance works bids.

Grimsby Kingston Gardens – Background

The existing nature based area within Kingston gardens in Grimsby has 2 existing ponds with artesian springs, path ways and established trees but due to neglect has been overrun by brambles, silting up of ponds and the path ways have fallen into disrepair. Flooding to the adjacent properties is now a major concern.

The proposal for Kingston gardens is to sculp out the silted ponds to enable the capture and hold back of artesian spring water to prevent the overwhelming of the combined sewer system. Reinstall pathways and information boards, create a more desirable habitat to encourage a more biodiversity of wildlife, install maintenance entrances and encourage the community engagement.

Grimsby Kingston Gardens – Current Situation

• Discussed also placement of a weir to hold back the water at times of high rainfall etc.
• Funding agreement to be set up with NELC by LCC legal team
• Soil samples and borehole analysis required via Lincs Labs, date currently being arranged
• Ecological survey required, completed on the 21st July
• Site clearance and re-sculpting being put out to tender

Scopwick – Background

A beck runs through the centre of Scopwick from which bubbles of groundwater rising from the aquifer can be seen on clear days. The village has suffered in many locations due to this ever present groundwater flooding which was overwhelming the sewer systems and as such blocking them in times of high rainfall from surface water entering, which caused flooding in the village.

Scopwick – Current situation

Barton-upon-Humber – Background

Barton-Upon-Humber has reported historical flooding events which were mitigated against previously by groundwater abstraction taking place by the water companies/industrial uses. A loss of abstraction licences due to policy changes within the EA has meant the risk of groundwater flooding has returned to Barton-upon-Humber.

Barton-upon-Humber – Current situation

• Multiple areas of groundwater flooding have been found; football and cricket pitch, along with areas in the centre of town.
• Hydrologists WSP are undergoing the modelling and monitoring of the groundwater in this area to provide recommendations for solving issue.
• Potential discussions ongoing also as to whether a wetland alongside a new bypass will assist in groundwater flooding issues or just Surface water

Barrow-upon-Humber – Background

Barrow-upon-Humber previously suffered from groundwater flooding due to spring activation. It is also home to one of the Lincolnshire chalk streams, a unique habitat feature of which there are only 200 across the UK. The spring activated groundwater was previously mitigated against by works from the local council, but due to the uniqueness of the chalk streams an assessment of groundwater in the area is required to ensure if further springs appear they do not impact the chalk stream habitat.

Barrow-upon-Humber – Current situation

• Hydrologists WSP are investigating the area to find further groundwater issues and provide recommendations
• A proposal has been received from Lincolnshire Chalk Stream Partnership as to the possible enhancements for the chalk stream if groundwater issues are an issue

University of Lincoln Research

Salinisation of the Fen - Background

Within the Greater Lincolnshire area, an eighth of the nations food is grown and/or processed, as such the county could easily be described as the nation’s food capitol. In the south of the county, the fertile farmland of the Lincolnshire Fens is under threat from salinisation of the soil and water supply. For agricultural production, salts provide essential nutrients for growing. But too much salt can be toxic, and degrade the soil quality and lead to reductions in growth rate, smaller crop yields, and even crop failure.

Knowledge of the groundwater systems in the Fenlands is very limited, and understanding them is key to helping to protect the land in this area from excess salt – or salinisation.

Working with the University of Lincoln, the project team will collect data on the present salt levels in the soil in the Fens, and use modelling software to understand how salt water might infiltrate the soil and impact food production in the future.

Through this work, they will also be able to evidence the economic consequences that excessive salt levels will have on our fertile farmland.

Salinisation of the Fen – Current situation

The Post Doctoral Research Assistant has joined the team at the University, and is in the preliminary data collection stages to kick start the project work.

The University is current bringing together additional PDRA proposals to extend the project up the county and undertake an economic assessment of the results to gain a price per hectare per crop that is being affected by salinisation.

Dynamic licences project – Background

Climate change is expected to reduce the availability of water resources over the coming decade with eastern England alone requiring an extra 284 million litres of water per day for agriculture alone by 2050. In order to obtain this extra water, it will be needed to be extracted from the aquifer.

Water abstraction is regulated by the EA, to ensure the aquifer is not depleted unnecessarily and that there is sufficient water for all. Currently, UK water abstraction licencing provides for both daily, and annual limits (i.e. an abstractor is permitted to use a certain volume per day whilst not exceeding a certain volume in a year) with seasonal caps (usually during the summer months).

A novel approach is needed to water abstraction licences, or a dynamic licence, so that water could be extracted at specific times depending on the levels in the aquifer, this would be based on the understanding that water would only be extracted when the levels are sufficiently high enough, and would not be allowed to extract from when the levels are low. During these times water storage options would come into effect to ensure that the required water levels is still accessible.

Dynamic licences project – Current situation

A PhD studentship has been advertised by the University of Lincoln to begin in September to study this situation for 4 years and develop a guidebook into how dynamic licences should work for submission to the EA.

Boreholes Investigation

Boreholes – Background

Part of the project is involved with looking at water loss from boreholes. A borehole in this instance is any hole that has been constructed to reach water.

A list of 74 boreholes in the Bourne region had previously been surveyed by the EA in 1993, 2003 and 2013 to give an understanding of the levels of water potentially being lost by leaking boreholes. Comparison of the same boreholes over a wide timeframe gives a more comprehensive view of the situation in terms of water loss levels. As such it was initially determined that LCC as part of project groundwater would instruct hydrologists to examine the same set of boreholes.

The hydrologists will undertake a walkover and down hole surveys, where applicable, to understand the condition of the borehole. This surveying work is to take place alongside the National Flood Forum, employed as part of the project by LCC to engage with the local community, and set up Flood Action Groups whilst also, where necessary, communicating with landowners to obtain permissions before borehole surveys can take place.

Boreholes – Current Situation

The project has expanded since this initial proposal as whilst the NFF only received a 36% land owner uptake. Due to this Project Groundwater leaders decided to search for more boreholes that could potentially be included in the project. This then led to discovering that within the Lincolnshire region there were 21,686 boreholes registered on the British Geological Society website.

The boreholes registered on there are those that go deeper than 15 metres (50 feet) for the extraction of water as this by law must be reported to the BGS. However, those under this depth are not. So the true number of boreholes within the Lincolnshire region is unknown and presumably significantly higher.

The discovery of this many boreholes then opened up the question as to the maintenance responsibility of these features, historically and in the future. As these boreholes are generally sealed once no longer in use, however, a sealed borehole in the future can start leaking, in some cases with the seal becoming completely eroded away and the water generating a fountain. The cost to reseal a leaking borehole is currently listed at circa £140,000.

Project Groundwater is working with Wilkin Chapman LP to put in place a legal framework and policy change to Government so that firstly the EA makes their borehole register available to councils, and as such for boreholes to be included in the conveyancing checks done by solicitors via councils etc for new homeowners so they have the knowledge before purchasing a property.

We would also like to know which organisation, or individual, is responsible for the monetary value when a borehole does start leaking on a private property, and also on public land. Whilst it may be assumed the council is responsible to fix the issue, if it was initially placed by the water board, EA etc then does the same responsibility lie with the council.

Finally, we would like a legal framework for any future boreholes put into place, so it is clear moving forwards which organisations inspect the seals and fix the issue should they start leaking.

Middlesex University Research

Multi-Coloured Manual update – background

Project Groundwater Greater Lincolnshire seeks to better understand groundwater flooding and enhance the resilience of communities. This necessitates further consideration of the economic (and financial) benefits of flood damage mitigation through the implementation of different resilience options.

To facilitate this, Project Groundwater has teamed up with Middlesex University’s Flood Hazard Research Centre which developed the Multi-Coloured Manual. This is a suite of methodologies and data which comprise a national dataset endorsed by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and are used widely throughout the flood risk management sector. Although these data may be applied to all types of flooding, only limited specific attention has been paid to groundwater flood impacts and potential resilience solutions, meaning that these data may be inappropriate.

As such Project Groundwater would like the MCM updated to ensure groundwater flooding is classified correctly, and the financial impacts it has on members of the public who suffer from this problem is documented, so that home insurances cover this issue and home owners are not left out of pocket when such an issue arises on their property.

Multi-Coloured Manual Update – Current Situation

A review of the existing MCM has been completed and the main target areas documented that need addressing for groundwater flooding to be fully covered by the MCM.

Project groundwater is now awaiting proposals for the timescale and cost implications with updating the MCM.

NHS Heat Network

NHS heat network project – Background

Project groundwater has been approached by representatives for the Princess Diana hospital in Grimsby to understand if there is scope to incorporate groundwater into a heat network for the hospital. This heat network would take water from the aquifer, warm it and then pump it around the hospital to act as a heat source, before it is cooler on removal from the hospital and back to the aquifer.

NHS heat network project – Current Situation

Proposal has been included in the scoping being carried out by hydrologists in Grimsby, to determine the levels of groundwater that could be sourced for the heat network.

Collaborative works

Project groundwater Greater Lincolnshire is also collaborating with fellow FCRIP programmes on several projects;

Ultimate flood warning portal

Project Groundwater Greater Lincolnshire are working with Buckinghamshire Council and other members of the FRCIP programme to investigate the development of a portal that will be the go-to, one-stop, definitive place for flood warning and associated service.

There is a proliferation of flood warning services across England. These cover the various sources of flooding, including fluvial, coastal, and surface water. The 25 projects on the FCRIP programme are developing further additional services, such as for groundwater flood warning. Each of these services is often hosted and run by a different organisation, on a different platform, with differing levels of service and sign-up procedures. It is thought that users of flood warning services would appreciate and benefit a way to sign up for all relevant flood warning services in their area, through a simplified process and via a single portal. The flood portal could also potentially display other collated locally relevant flood risk information.

Property resilience measures

Project groundwater Greater Lincolnshire is working in collaboration with Buckinghamshire Council to develop and install property resilience measures for groundwater flooding to properties within out trial community areas.

Mental health partnership

Project groundwater Greater Lincolnshire and Buckinghamshire council are jointly working together on the mental health impacts of flooding, based on three central questions:

1. What actions can we take to have the greatest positive impact on mental health before, during and after a flood?

2. How do we change our approach to focus on people not property?

3. What is the realistic economic cost of mental health – direct (the person) and indirect (others).