FOUR YEAR "FLOOD DANGER ZONE" FOR EASTLEIGH - HUHNE

10.15.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 18th Mar 2008

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne predicted that it would take three to four years before Eastleigh and similar towns near the Hampshire coast could withstand the torrential downpours that caused floods last summer in Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.

"Until then, we will be in a flood danger zone at risk from flooding from extreme weather events caused by climate change" said Mr Huhne. "The recent flood warnings from the Environment Agency along the lower Itchen should be a wake-up call".

Mr Huhne was speaking after a high-level meeting with Southern Water Chief Executive Les Dawson who briefed the MP on the company's policy on investment and preparations for handling extreme weather events that are more likely because of climate change.

Mr Huhne pressed the case of constituents who still suffer from overflowing drains and sewers despite sky-high water rate rises. Mr Huhne told Mr Dawson that he was particularly worried that all the drain and sewer systems of the old towns and cities near the Hampshire coast would struggle to cope with the sort of downpours that caused floods last summer in Hull, Sheffield and Doncaster.

Mr Huhne said: "We will have to keep our fingers crossed that we will not face the sort of torrential rain suffered in Yorkshire and Gloucestershire last summer, because it is clear that Southern Water has not yet completed its mapping of the risk let alone started on the extra investment that is necessary.

"Mr Dawson told me that the assessment of Portsmouth had been completed, but that Eastleigh still had another six months before the assessment was finished. It would then be another three to four years before the necessary extra investment was put in place to ensure the drains and sewers could handle torrential rain caused by climate change" said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne said that Southern Water would put in separate storm water and sewerage systems on new developments and that the risk would be reduced by improving pumping stations so the existing networks could work more intensively, as had happened in Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh.

Mr Huhne told Mr Dawson that there was an increasing amount of worry among constituents about drains and sewers, particularly in those low-lying areas where there has been backing-up and overflows.

"For any household affected, this is appalling. We need urgently to improve the capacity of the drains and sewers" said Mr Huhne.