'Wellbeing by water' not on its agenda today

 UNPRECEDENTED rainfall it has been, but questions must be asked of CaRT about the maintenance regime and inspection of this very old design of [Whaley Bridge] dam, writes Kevin McNiff.

The spillway clearly could not cope with the overtopping of the dam which, like others such as in the Elan Valley, are designed to allow overspill. Given the previous heavy rainfall, should they not have worked with the EA to release more water under control into the Goyt before this came to a head? Is it the only dam in the Peak Forest and the North to have overtopped this week?

Who inspected it

It puts the Middlewich breach into the 'pin prick' category, and hopefully the total collapse of the structure will nor happen. Surely the HSE must be involved now in searching out the risk management protocols within the Trust. Who inspected it last November and was it simply a box ticking exercise? Sadly, for the inhabitants of the town and surrounding businesses, 'Wellbeing by water' is not on their agenda today.

With its 'wait and see' approach to impending failures such as Wheaton Aston Lock, CaRT are clearly sending out the message they are not fit for purpose. Clear out the bean counters, business graduates, softie elements and dipstick PR gurus and get in real engineers and others with knowledge of water infrastructures.

IWA out of its bunker

Perhaps having just raised the organisation above the wall with television and other media outlets, it will come under scrutiny before too long? Methinks that that time is just around the corner. And while I’m here, is it not time for the IWA to come out of its bunker and wade into it?

If the problem is subsequently defined as 'foreseeable the RAF should bill CaRT for its Chinook and the villagers sue it butts off for sheer incompetence.

Completely bonkers

And as Keith points out, closing the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals is completely bonkers. Better they prevent boats going towards Marple but allow transit in the opposite direction. Just not joined up thinking

 

Kevin