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Companies working on technologies designed to improve the
UK's flood defences have been given a major boost with the
launch of a giant water tank designed to test the effectiveness
of new flood defences.
The new facility, which has been developed by the Environment
Agency, will allow a replica living-room to be fitted with
new technologies and products designed to minimise the impact
of floods. The tank - which
is half the size of a football pitch - will then be
flooded with thousands of gallons of water, allowing firms
to test the effectiveness of their products in a controlled
environment.
The unveiling of the test facility has been accompanied by
the launch of a new BSI standard - PAS
1188 - which will be carried by products that meet
flood resilience criteria.
"The new testing facility and industry standard will help
those at risk make informed choices and have confidence in
the flood products they buy, as well as encouraging new product
development," said Robert Runcie, director of flood and coastal
risk management at the Environment Agency.
David Ford, executive director for healthcare and testing
services at BSI, said the new standard would provide a major
boost for those companies developing flood-resistant materials
and products. "Manufacturers will have the benefit of being
able to show that their flood defence product offers a high
level of protection and will be able to display the Kitemark
- a recognised symbol of trust," he said.
The facility has been developed by the Environment Agency
and engineering firm HR Wallingford and is hosted at the latter's
hydraulic laboratory in Oxfordshire.
Defra estimates that one in six homes in England and Wales
are already at risk of flooding - and this number is likely
to increase over the coming decades as a result of global
warming.
The department has a £5m property-level flood protection
grant scheme designed to help those households in high flood-risk
areas purchase flood protection products, such as readymade
flood barriers for doors.
The Environment Agency is urging local authorities receiving
this grant money to ensure the products they purchase to protect
people and property are tested and bear the BSI Kitemark.
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