Forum Topic

High tide

There has just been a higher than usual tide this afternoon which has flooded the pavement of Point Wharf on Ferry Quays. Here are two photos of it from the Brentford Dock headland across the canal:

Duncan Walker ● 6511d18 Comments

Thanks Richard, that's very useful and I'll be watching out at about 4.00 pm and tomorrow to see that great sight of all that extra water in the Thames from Brentford Gate at Kew Gardens to Ferry Quays.

Duncan Walker ● 6482d

Following the interest shown in last month's high tides, I've provided information about tides in Brentford, including dates and times of the highest ones, which the editor has now added to the site. (Thanks to Nigel Moore for his useful comments on my first draft.)  There's a news link from the home page at the moment, and a permanent link in the Information section of the menus.I'll be adding information for next year's tides during December.There's a spring tide this weekend, one of the highest of the year according to the predictions.

Richard Jennings ● 6482d

And whose bright idea was it to sell off our utilities in the first place?

Vanessa Smith ● 6506d

Well those two days would be good ones, as I see from the tide tables that they are predicted to be the highest of the year at 7.4 metres. Maybe Thames Water could provide them with some green wellingtons?It doesn’t look too promising for Thames Water to fix the problem quickly, after reading their response to the latest Ofwat fine of £12.5 million for failing to provide accurate information and offering a sub-standard service. Thames Water claim that the fines were "totally disproportionate" and would have a detrimental effect on its customers in London and the south east of England. So I guess they will use that as an excuse not to fix things.See http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2179191,00.htmlI read here:http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/campaigns/customerservice/article.html?in_article_id=418486&in_page_id=515The Consumer Council for Water described in a report in March, that last October’s heavily indebted £8bn takeover of Thames Water by Australian bank Macquarie from German owners RWE as 'seriously flawed' and 'deeply suspect'. “It said: 'Nothing we have read in the consultation paper or anything we have heard directly from Thames Water's new owners give us comfort that consumer interests are at the forefront of its strategy. ' Instead we believe that the expectation is that their investment in Thames Water will be low risk but high gains and wherever possible they will seek to pass on risk to customers.' In a detailed analysis of the takeover - which used a 'middle man' company called Kemble Water - the report criticised: • The 'Byzantine' ownership structure of Thames which 'does little to convince us that Kemble will act in the best interests of Thames Water and its customers'. • The make-up of the proposed new board, which will have 11 as yet unnamed members representing the new investors in Thames, three 'independent' members but no senior executives actually running the company and no one representing consumers. • The 'salami' slicing up of Thames Water into smaller stakes, which are then sold on to other investors. • The complex 'smoke and mirrors' financial structure of the 'private equity' ownership of Thames. This has resulted in sharply higher levels of borrowing.”What chance have we to fix one drain?

Duncan Walker ● 6507d

I wonder if a photo-opportunity in Brent Way could be arranged when Hilary Benn comes to support Ann Keen in her campaign for re-election at an appropriate time on 27/28 October......

Tim Henderson ● 6508d

I've just phoned the Environment Agency Floodline to alert them to the problem, and suggest that they should put pressure on Thames Water.

Richard Jennings ● 6508d

Thanks Paul - have done that just now.I suggested looking at the previous topic heading 'High Tide Weekend' for detailed photos of the valve and plan, with contacts.With the Environment Agency becoming more sensitive to flood issues, it's remarkable that after two years of publicising this, no one really has bothered to see it fixed! Perhaps it's time to rope in the local papers.

Nigel Moore ● 6508d

Nigel,Shirley is willing to take this matter up in her capacity as a Syon Ward Councillor if you wish and she can be contacted at shirley.fisher@hounslow.gov.ukRegardsPaul

Paul Fisher ● 6508d

Richard, the last news I had was many months ago, when the Council people who came to see the situation with me said that getting Thames Water to do their job was a waste of time - and that they'd just go ahead and do it themselves.But as you've shown ........

Nigel Moore ● 6508d

I had a look at the high tide at Brentford today.  High water was earlier than predicted, so in this photo of Ferry Quays, you can see that the water had previously reached the bottom of the steps (the flood defence):The downstream lock gate at Thames Lock: no difference in level between the Brent (on the left) and the Thames:The lock keeper said the water was higher in Brentford on Friday, though the London Bridge level was only a bit higher - 7.57 m compared with 7.54 today. It was the rain water flowing downstream that has been boosting tide levels over the last few days, especially on Friday.And here is the familiar scene in Brent Way. Those flap valves still aren't working!  As Nigel Moore has pointed out previously, this is supposed to be in the flood-protected zone.  (Nigel: what was the last news you had about this from Thames Water or the Council?)The next big spring tide is on 27/28 October (7.4 m predicted).

Richard Jennings ● 6509d

Super pictures of the Old Father Thames Duncan. Thanks again.

Jim Lawes ● 6509d

Once again, lovely pictures Duncan.

Audrey Walton ● 6509d

I watched the water rise again this afternoon (5.00pm), but this time from the Kew side of the Thames looking across to the entrance to the River Brent/Grand Union Canal and Brentford Dock and Ferry Quays.It looks such a powerful river when so high and the level of the river merges with the river banks.These photos are taken from the Brentford Gate of Kew Gardens, where the ferry used to go to from Ferry Quay. This one shows the water at the same level as the bank at Ferry Point at the entrance of the River Brent/Grand Union Canal with Brentford Dock on the left:Here the large boat moored next to Ferry Quay rises up as the water is lapping up against the flats on Ferry Quays:Some rowers go past, nearly at the same level as the path:As I walk towards Kew Bridge I look back to see the water up against the sculpture on Ferry Point, but what a lovely stretch of water it is:

Duncan Walker ● 6510d

well, our boat went up..  and when it came down again, our flue cowl didnt.its going to be good for the rest of the week too i think.

Jamie Halliday ● 6510d

I think it would be a great idea to publish the tide timetable on the Brentford site

Emma Renton ● 6510d

"Did they forget to close the Thames Barrier?"As far as I can tell (not having witnessed today's high tide, though I saw yesterday's), this was a fairly normal near-spring tide, predicted as 7.2 metres at London Bridge. The highest predicted tides this week (the actual spring tide this morning and Sat/Sun afternoons) are of 7.3 metres, and the highest for this year are 7.4 metres.  The Thames Barrier would not normally be closed unless the tide is expected to be higher than about 7.6 metres at London Bridge.The Environment Agency's flood risk map appears to show that the area which is flooded in Duncan's photos is intended to flood, i.e. is outside the flood defences.On the Chiswick.W4.com site, I provide a table of tides for the year that are predicted to be 7.2 metres or higher.  Would it be of interest to have that information on this site too, with high tide times for Brentford?

Richard Jennings ● 6510d

Did they forget to close the Thames Barrier?

Neil Chippendale ● 6511d

Pity I had to go to work today.  I love watching the river encroaching and invading the man-made barriers that is imposed around it.  I reckon high tide was around 4.30pm today.  And there has just been a full moon.  The tide always seems higher in Autumn and Spring when the moon is full. Great pictures by the way, Duncan. 

S Passmore ● 6511d