Flood Prevention

Much of the flooding in the Comrie area of Perthshire, Scotland is due to the poor maintenance by Perth & Kinross Council of drainage systems for which they are responsible. This photograph illustrates how the culvert passing under the road is inadequate. This culvert is not only inadequate in terms of its capacity but also in its design. In this case - as often the case in this area - the culvert consists of twin pipes that greatly encourage blockage of both pipes by even small amounts of debris being washed down and getting stuck across the two pipes. Prior to the expected rains the farm made sure that the culvert was clear. The farm owns the fields on both sides of this public road and is responsible for the ditches on the farm, but cannot do anything about the culvert under the public road, except to complain to the Council no effect. In other areas of the farm the ditches of the public roads have not been maintained for years, so that the roads become streams or ice rinks and are highly hazardous to the public.

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Inadequate culverts passing under roadways used by the public elsewhere on the farm have lead to flooding of a house and to making another public road impassable for ordinary private or commercial vehicles.

In addition, much of the flooding of the River Ruchil at Comrie is due to the Council failing to remove fallen trees promptly as they had undertaken to do, and failing to keep ditches clear that they are responsible for.

Expensive flood prevention schemes may be necessary but these will not function properly if continuing maintenance is neglected. Indeed the need for such expensive schemes may be at least in part obviated by good maintenance of existing drainage systems.

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22 November 2002

Flood Prevention