Northumbrian Water has started work this week on a sustainable, grassed storm water storage basin to help protect four homes in Winlaton, Gateshead from flooding.

The storage basin, which will hold up to 332,000 litres of excess surface water during times of heavy rainfall, will be located in a grassed area at the junction of Park Lane and Parkgate Lane.

It is the second part of a £400,000 green flood reduction scheme in Winlaton and is expected to take up to one month to complete.

The storage basin, which costs £150,000, is one of seven sustainable water storage basins that are being created across the region as part of Northumbrian Water’s commitment to help protect areas that are prone to flooding.

Dave Groark, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said:

“Helping to reduce the risk of flooding to our customers’ properties is one of our top priorities as we appreciate the distress and inconvenience that flooding can cause.”

“Preventing surface water from entering our sewer network is a sustainable solution to reducing the risk of flooding and will help us to prepare for the future as weather patterns change and flash flooding increases.

Northumbrian Water’s contractors, Seymour Civil Engineering Ltd. will carry out the work.

The first part of the scheme, which took place between January and April 2014 and cost £250,000, involved the installation of 330m of new sewer pipe.

In July the water company also started an eight-month programme of work on a £1.75 million flood scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to 13 properties in Newcastle, including the installation of a storm water storage tank which will hold up to two and a half million litres of waste water during times of heavy rainfall, and 120 metres of new sewer pipe.