Page 14 - Issue 68 Online

THE NIGHT BEFORE

CHRISTMAS EVE

. . . AND BEYOND

ecember 23rd 12:00 midday, the duty
pump at Glen House Pumping Station
Dstarted up. Little did I know that it would
run almost continuously for the next 91 hours.
The forecast was awful, and the land saturated
from a very wet month. I ran extra pumps to
lower the main drain by 30cm. I then travelled
to the pumps at Purls Bridge and lowered the
level by 30cm. I was out again at 19:30, the
water level at Common Bridge was already
15cm higher, with both Purls Bridge pumps Purls Bridge on Christmas Eve
running. Off to Welney, checking where drains
crossed roads to see how things were looking.
The drain levels were rising steadily and at Glen Christmas morning, 07:00, Glen House and the
House later that evening, four pumps were level had dropped 38cm, all four pumps were
running. With huge amounts of water coming still running, each one in turn was stopped just
into our system, all the District pumps and their long enough for a quick service. During this
associated machinery were running – no more operation, the drain rose by 8cm. A tour of the
could be done. District showed no blockages and Purls Bridge
was 25cm lower. It looked like the worst was
Christmas Eve, Glen House 07:30, all four pumps over.
running, still vast amounts of water in the drain.
The level had risen by 70cm since the previous I recorded 376 pumping hours
afternoon but the four pumps were holding it in four days, that’s about 1.23
steady. Unfortunately, the weedscreen cleaner million tonnes of water pumped
broke down. This machine clears the grille that
protects the pumps from ingesting the rubbish out of the District.
and vegetation debris that comes down the
drain. I repaired the hoist motor and the ropes Boxing Day, 07:30 and three pumps were
and hoses that control the hydraulic grab. As the running at Glen House, the level dropped
light was fading, I visited Purls Bridge. Here the overnight by a further 15cm. Purls Bridge had
pumps were holding the level steady, a full 56cm gone up by 32cm, the pumps tripping out during
higher than yesterday. After adjustments to this the night, probably due to birds striking a power
weedscreen cleaner, I had both the stations in line.
some semblance of order.

PAGE 14 www.maneamatters.com