How Jackie ‘slowed the flow’

BRIC Competition winner creates a mini flood prevention system in their own garden

The winner of our Slow the Flow competition has been unveiled – and shown us round her very own home flood alleviation system.

Jackie was presented with her winning Water Butt after winning the contest held by the Plymouth City Council BRIC Project Team, who are raising awareness of the flood risks in the Lipson Vale area.

Jackie’s back garden in the Laira area of Plymouth is something to behold. She has created an inspiring flood prevention system to combat flooding.

The competition was sponsored by South West Water who supplied the water butt.

Here are some highlights of how Jackie is ‘slowing the flow’:

• Jackie has masterminded her very own mini-flood alleviation system for both herself and her neighbour
• Nothing goes to waste – she has used reclaimed materials throughout, such as a shower tray for a pond, rubbish bin for a water butt and reclaimed wood for walkways.
• Jackie’s garden water storage system has ‘slowed the flow’ of water and reduced the potential threat of flooding that used to happen by her back door during heavy rain.
• The system doesn’t only act as a place to store water, it is designed to keep the entire garden watered. For example – the ponds are shallow and designed to overflow after rainfall.
• She also has a series of pipes leading from the water butts to the lower parts of the garden including her neighbour’s garden.
• The plants she has chosen attract bees and butterflies and one of her shallow ponds has tadpoles.

Liza Oxford, BRIC Project Lead at Plymouth City Council, said: “We’re all about highlighting the risks of flooding and how they can be managed and Jackie’s garden is a true inspiration for what can be achieved in a small space, showing how simple changes can make a real difference to slowing the flow!”

BRIC is an Interreg France (Channel) England funded project who are supporting communities at risk of flooding to plan ahead, act quickly and recover well.