Information regarding sewage leaks
The Parish Council are aware that there have recently been a number of instances of surface water flooding and of sewage leaking onto roads/pavements in the village. The Parish Council has been liaising with the relevant bodies to establish the cause and ensure that remedial action is being taken.
Surface water / blocked drains and gullys:
Where flooding on roads/pavements occurs due to blocked drains or gullys, this is the responsibility of the county council, and can be reported online here: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/road-drains-and-gully-cleaning. However NYCC's policy is that they will only clear drains/gullys once per year unless they are causing a health and safety issue.
Blocked / overflowing sewers:
The sewer network is the responsibility of Yorkshire Water, and in Escrick is quite a complex network of gravity sewers, syphon sewers, pumped (rising) sewers and underground storm tanks. Unfortunately much of the network is combined sewers (waste water and surface water) and therefore prone to getting overloaded in periods of heavy rainfall.
Yorkshire Water have identified two issues which have caused, or at least contributed to recent flooding:
- A fat blockage in one of the main sewers which has now been cleared
- A failed pump in one of the pumping stations, which is in the process of being repaired