The powerful bodies at a local water authority have launched an investigation into the drainage system in a street after half a dozen homes were flooded, thanks to heavy rainfall.

Following the torrential downpour of rain on the 31st of August, Northumbrian water will be launching an investigation into the drainage in the streets surrounding the Shotton Colliery area. Allegedly, the effects of the downpour were so damaging that several inches of properties in the area were under water. A day after the downpour, the local fire station went to these properties and also spent close to an hour each pumping out the water from the homes. Owing either to bad drains or to rudimentary drain maintenance measures these houses had unfortunate drainage problems. Authorities are now worried about other locations which may not be taking adequate drain maintenance measures in order to prevent such a problem from happening again.

A spokesperson for Northumbrian water said that a contractor who happened to be in the area took a look at the situation in the area immediately and found that the drainage system itself was not at fault, however silt in the manholes owing to bad drain maintenance measures had impaired the function of the drains beyond reasonable measure.