South Tyneside residents are being invited to share information that could help shape a potential future flood risk reduction scheme.
Northumbrian Water, South Tyneside Council and the Environment Agency are working together to investigate flooding in the Tyne Dock area of South Shields.
By fully understanding how flooding has affected the area, the organisations can explore any possible improvements that can be made to reduce flood risk in future.
Residents are invited to share their flooding experiences and find out more at Northumbrian Water’s mobile community hub, which will be parked at Lidl, Boldon Lane, NE34 0AT from 10.00am to 2.00pm on Wednesday April 26, 2017.
Representatives from Northumbrian Water, South Tyneside Council, Environment Agency and contractors MMB will be on hand to speak to residents.
Customers who have views on the project, or want to know more, can also have their say on Northumbrian Water’s community website at www.nwlcommunityportal.co.uk.
The partnership project is part of Northumbrian Water’s surface water management programme, Rainwise.
The scheme involves working more closely with communities to reduce the amount of surface water that enters the sewer network. Freeing up capacity in the network is particularly important to reduce flood risk during heavy rainfall.
It also seeks to raise awareness about how people of the North East can get involved by managing surface water around their home and reduce the risk of flooding in their community as a whole.
Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, Lynn Preston, said: “Flooding can be devastating for our customers and we know some residents in Tyne Dock have experienced that first hand.
“The drop-in session is a great opportunity for the community to come and talk to us, help us understand local flood risk issues from the residents’ perspective and share their experiences of flooding.
“We’ll also be raising awareness of how they can get involved in our Rainwise initiative, taking small measures themselves to improve flood resilience.”
Councillor Moira Smith, Lead Member for Area Management and Community Safety at South Tyneside Council, said: “Having your home or business flooded can be a heart-breaking experience so we are very keen to work in partnership on this initiative to reduce the risk of flooding.
“I would encourage residents to come along to the drop-in session on April 26 to meet the team and share their views and experiences to help us fully understand the flood risk in this area.”
The portal, which will help residents keep track of the project and related activity is available at www.nwlcommunityportal.co.uk. Customers can also call Northumbrian Water on 0345 717 1100.