Warning over west London flood scheme

Thames Water is not doing enough to protect 1,400 homes in west London from being flooded with sewage, it was claimed today.

The water company is launching a £25 million scheme to fit 600 homes with anti-flooding valves over five years in the prone Counter's Creek area, which includes Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea.

But council chiefs said the plans would solve "less than half" of basement flooding problems.

Nick Botterill, deputy leader of Hammersmith & Fulham council, said: "The harsh reality for many residents is that Thames Water is going to solve less than half the basement flooding problems under their current plan."

As many as 1,400 homes in the Counter's Creek catchment have been flooded with sewage in the last six years, with 7,500 thought to be at risk. In July 2007 up to 730 basements were filled with waste when the sewer overflowed.

Counter's Creek, an old tributary of the Thames, is the main sewer for the area and has been overburdened with population growth and the concreting of natural drainage sites.

Thames Water plans to construct a new sewer for Counter's Creek in 2014, but has yet to agree funding.

Bob Collington, Thames Water's director of operational management, said: "We have yet to get the approval of our economic regulator Ofwat for building a larger Counter's Creek sewer system, but the £25 million of funding we've been allowed by Ofwat for the next five years will enable us to provide a short-term fix for the worst-affected properties while we design the long-term solution."