Reclaim the Rain

In November 2023 the Rotary club had a talk from managers involved in the Reclaim the Rain Project, a joint initiative between Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils, to build water resilience across the two counties. Our speakers were Sean Riseley and Chris Robinson, supported by George Warren from Anglian Water. Also present was Liz Whitcher, well known to us already for her involvement in a flood protection committee in Watton.

We learnt that one of the biggest flood risks arises from areas where there are shared drains, whereby surface water mixes with sewage. In Watton, the Reclaim the Rain managers have contacted some 100 households which use shared drains, offering specialist water butts to try to capture some of the rain that falls, thereby slowing its progress to surface water drains and reducing the risk of flooding. Of these, 28 households have agreed to take part.

Another main aim of the project is to develop sustainable drainage in schools, and funding has been made available for Watton junior School, Watton infant School and Wayland Academy to include sustainable drainage features on school grounds and incorporate learning based on the re-use of water.

A community Handbook is planned, to be distributed to homes in the area, with contact details for appropriate authorities, and help with what to look out for as a resident e.g. what constitutres a watercourse, riparian ownership responsibilities and who to report an unmaintained ditch to.

There will also be drone footage available to view, showing how water flows from an aerial perspective.

Following a lively Q and A session, our visitors were warmly thanked for taking the trouble to come along and share details of this important project with us.