Calls to revisit Black Sluice Pumping Station role after floods. Review stems from closure due to old models.
Daniel Withnall spoke with agency officials. He learned they will simulate this year’s floods using real data to compare with old models.
The pumping station closed years ago after a study suggested it wasn’t important, supposedly not protecting homes or farmland in South Lincolnshire.
Some people believe the station could have helped, potentially saving fields near the drain while the Black Sluice Pumping Station was not running. A council report supported them, saying to urgently revisit the models and reconsider the station’s role after Storm Babet and Henk.
The agency defended its past decision, claiming the flooding was unrelated and it didn’t matter if the station was working, adding that refurbishing was too expensive.
Mr. Withnall mentioned a meeting with the agency two weeks ago. The agency agreed to simulate real events and compare them against model predictions to show if the model was accurate.
Withnall’s team sent flood data, which the agency will now use. Confirming the model’s accuracy makes sense, but that requires they confirm the model is actually right.
The pumping station was built in 1946 with five diesel pumps. It sat across the drain, river, and The Haven.
Three pumps got damaged in 2013 by a tidal surge. The station closed in 2018, believing a lock and gate would release enough water.
A head of water is needed to help water flow during low tide. Pumping during high tide would prevent this natural flow.
The storms in 2023 and 2024 caused issues with heads of water staying high. The station could have helped water levels farther up the river.
Experts believe the pumps could have helped, with flooding in Boston potentially being another instance since the closure.
The drainage board considered taking over and adapting the station. Electric pumps were an option, but it was determined to be too costly.
Recommissioning the station should be considered as it may help during floods. Climate change could increase flooding, meaning more discharge capacity might become critical, and the existing lock and gate may prove insufficient.