Eggars Academy School Flood Defence Project

Eggars Academy School is situated within the Wey Valley and beneath the Hampshire Downs which are comprised of clay, limestone and shale soils. 

As the school has expanded from its original footprint, it linked new school blocks by hard paving. It has also installed tennis courts and a MUGA , both of which contributed to further hard surfaces and contributed to pressures on the existing drainage capacity.

Together, these impacted on the life-expired drainage system, resulting in surface water being funnelled off the hills and the school experiencing regular flooding of the science and maths blocks.

The impact of the flooding disrupted the school’s ability to deliver its core curriculum, risked its reputation, and led to rises in insurance premiums.

Work Undertaken

Warneford Consulting undertook a series of topological, drainage and CCTV surveys before devising a solution that effectively reduced the flow of the surface water through the installation of large drainage channels, attenuation tanks and new underground pipework systems. 

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) submission was successful, with work taking place between July and November ensuring the project was completed just before the next season of winter weather.

Results

Climate change has resulted in an increase of intense flash floods in the area meaning the new system has been regularly subjected to stress testing and has been proven to keep the school safe from further flooding.