Council cleans and inspects almost 2,000 drainage gullies in Milton Keynes in just one month

Last month MK Council tankers visited 1,943 gullies to inspect and clean them on local roads.

The list included 132 new gullies that were not previously owned by the council because the roads were unadopted.

Gullies are an important part of any road network is the drainage system and are designed to carry water away from the road surface.

"Even when a gully is clean and well maintained it will only cope with a certain volume of water at one time, a sudden and heavy downpour can still cause flooding especially if the road is in a low lying area," said a council spokesman.

He added: "Tree roots can cause an issue as they grow through and along the pipes reducing the amount of space for the surface water to be removed. These need to be removed by specialist equipment.

"We use gully tankers to remove silt from the drains on all adopted highway. We also high pressure jetting to remove blockages and special cameras to check the drains."

MK Council identifies flooding hotspots across MK and gullies here are cleaned and checked on a regular basis. This means that if there is heavy rainfall, the gullies can remove surface water to their maximum capacity, say officers.

The council aims to inspect and clean all drainage grids and grilles annually, as well as inspecting, cleaning and clearing all drainage grips - a shallow ditch to help water drain from the road.

They provide a 24-7 emergency service to respond to drainage emergencies.

Gullies empty into the main storm sewer in the road. This is owned and managed by Anglian Water, who drain the surface water into the rivers and balancing lakes.

You can report a blocked road drain using the Report It section on the council website or call 01908 252353.

Private landowners are responsible for drainage on their property and if they are in a flood prone area, they should also protect their property from flooding.

The list of areas where gullies due to be inspected this month is: Leadenhall, Springfield, Woolstone, Oxley Park, Oakhill, Bancroft, Oldbrook ,Blue Bridge and Galley Hill.