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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