United Utilities told an inquest that major engineering work is under way to reduce the frequency of severe floods on Queens Drive in Liverpool, but the company cannot guarantee it will prevent future incidents.
00:00It's been over two years since Elaine and Philip Marco drowned when their car became submerged in flash flooding on Queens Drive.
00:09Now the inquest into their deaths has heard that work is progressing to reduce the risk of anything similar happening again, but a full guarantee cannot be given.
00:18Giving evidence at Gerard Magella Courthouse, United Utilities Wastewater Services Director Mark Garth said around 2.7 million litres of flood water were seen on the night the Marcos died.
00:29He explained that the bowl-like shape of that trench of road means if there was going to be flooding at any point, it would be here.
00:37Mr Garth told the inquest the sewer network beneath Queens Drive likely predates the road itself.
00:42The road sits 7.5 metres below ground level, whilst the nearest manhole covers only one metre below the surface.
00:49He described this as creating an artificial basin that retained water during the storm.
00:54Replacing the Victorian-era sewer system across the city would cost between £80 and £140 billion, according to United Utilities.
01:04Mr Garth said the company uses a risk-based approach rather than routine inspections.
01:09On the day the Marcos died, Mr Garth said intense rainfall combined with the landscape of the road to overwhelm drainage.
01:16Feather flooding was recorded in July 2024.
01:19Mr Garth said the fact it happened so soon after the Marcos deaths highlighted the need for a permanent solution.
01:25United Utilities is now installing a 60-foot deep water tank at the Mystery and Wavertory, along with a flow control device at Penny Lane.
01:33Mr Garth said the work should reduce the likelihood of flooding from once every four years to once a decade, but he could not eliminate the risk completely.
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