Incidents of flooding have seriously affected residents of Amersham and the surrounding areas this winter.
Parts of Amersham Household Recycling Centre were left completely submerged in water last month after heavy rainfall caused the water in the River Misbourne to rise significantly.
Meanwhile, in nearby Chalfont St Peter, sewage burst through manhole covers and flooded the High Street.
Buckinghamshire Council has reassured residents it is working to find the cause of the flooding so it can be resolved.
Councillor Thomas Broom, cabinet member for climate change and environment, said: “The recycling centre in Amersham is experiencing some flooding on the lower level due to the recent heavy rain and high-water levels of the nearby river. We are working to find out the root cause of this issue and to resolve it as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our residents.”
Some have theorised that the drilling for the HS2 railway might have had an impact on increased flooding this year. It was announced on February 27 that HS2’s giant tunnelling machine had completed its 10-mile journey under the Chilterns.
John Gladwin, Chiltern Society trustee, said: “The flooding of the Misbourne is complex and unlikely to be down to one factor. Indeed, the Chiltern Society understands that there is an issue with water entering the main sewer running down the Misbourne Valley in very wet periods. The water table in the area is currently very high and this would account for the amount of sewage being discharged in Chalfont St Peter.
“There is evidence that HS2 has occasionally transferred water from their sites into ditches that feed into the Misbourne, and this would combine with water runoff from the roads.”
However, a spokesperson for HS2 Ltd said: “Recent flooding was caused by heavy rainfall, not HS2 works.”
An Environment Agency spokesperson told AMERSHAMnews: “We take all pollution incidents extremely seriously. We have instructed Thames Water and Affinity Water to take action to manage sewage overflowing from manholes in the Misbourne Valley caused by flooded sewers.
“Specialist officers are closely monitoring this issue for any impact to the environment, which is classed as surface water flooding from significant recent rainfall.”
Photo credit: Maureen McLean Shutterstock
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