Water leak from main road onto my allotment!!!

[buzzingtalk]

There;s currently a pretty bad water leak flowing right into my corner of the allotments. I can't get close enough to mine to get a proper look but the ones I can see are ruined Clay soil too, and I'd just manured it all yesterday so it will be nicely ruined. Plus all my wood will be soaked.

*sigh*

Any advice would be most welcome. It's clay soil so I'm guessing this is going to be a problem for a while

[alldigging]

Is the leak being fixed?

[Thelma Sanders]

Is it just water run-off or a leak from the mains? Has anyone told the local water board what's happening?
I believe that if there's been a failure of sewers or mains then they have to pay compensation.
If it's just due to too much rain flowing in your direction - I don't think there's much you can do

Same thing happened to friends on London clay, last Spring, and it's surprising how quickly the soil recovers. Good luck with it.

[Stan79]

Make sure the leak is being fixed.
Wait for it to dry out.
Don't get carried away and walk on it or do anything with it too soon.

When it's all dried out, build floating raised beds!

We've a long way to go until we're in full planting season. Panic not!

[buzzingtalk]

Oh yes they are fixing it. but it's been leaking since around 5am, so there's a huge body of water! Thames water are fixing it but that doesn't stop the water that's already run off.

It's run off from the mains, not rain. Pretty bad. I only noticed because I couldn't flush the toilet at home, so not only have I got no water at home but I then heard where the leak was and went to check my plot and see this

[Thelma Sanders]

Did you mention compensation to them?

[Nicos]

Is it a council plot???

It might be worth asking/finding out if you have any old drainage pipes below ground which might need rodding.

It might help it drain quicker- and be a long term benefit for the whole site?

[buzzingtalk]

It's not a council plot - I can't remember the name for it but it was handed over from the council to a privately run site. I have emailed the site 'organizer' for lack of a better word. No I didn't mention compensation because I wanted to let them get on with their work, but also because I didn't know what my rights are.

@Nicos - the pipes do not run under the site, it is on the main road next to the site, and the water has burst through the pavement, filled up the drains and is such now running down the slope of the road onto the allotments.

What are you rights with regard to this? In terms of compensation, the only thing that's worth any money on there I've found in skips, so it's a pain that it might be ruined but I've spent a lot on diesel driving around picking up manure, wood etc. I am out of work and not allowed to sign on too so I'm absolutely skint, this is going to be a pain to get fixed again

[veggiechicken]

Sorry to hear this, buzzingtalk I have no idea about rights/compensation but wondered whether your site has any insurance?
Dont know whether http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_76551.html will encourage you - or not!!

[Thelma Sanders]

It depends how quickly the water drains away.
It may only take a matter of days once the leak is fixed. so don't panic yet.

[buzzingtalk]

The water draining is not so much the issue as the mess it's going to leave behind, all the manure/steaw is going to have moved, the wood might be buggered. Bleughhh its going to be a mess

Thank you all for your concern, fingers crossed we have a dry spell and no rain !! Am going to check it again in a bit...

[Mikey]

All a question of damage I'd say. That volume of water may have had a detrimental affect on your raised beds and other timber items but, take plenty of pictures and if you have any before that would help. While by your own admission you have not spent loads on making things on your plot you will have spent a lot of time getting it ready for planting.

Clay soil holds moisture well which is why the run off is mostly sat on top rather than seeped into the ground. It will seep eventually, you'll have lost some of the nutrients from the manure you've added and your subsoil will be denser for a period of time but, you are some time off planting yet anyway.

I think your concerns should be if the water is mains cold or sewage and how much wet rot the standing water might have done to your timber items. Beyond that time will resolve any standing water.

[lottie dolly]

I wonder if Nicos meant pipes under the allotment site it's self,as in field /land drains

am sorry to hear of your predicument

[hamesy]

Ouch!

As Mikey said, I would start asking what the pipe was carrying, if it's sewage you might have problems.

[buzzingtalk]

It's mains water, thankfully not sewage.

Thames water have just dropped off pallets of water bottles to our estate as the works may take 'some time' :/

Water is still flooding onto the allotments, and had got a lot worse a few hours ago...