Over the past few months, some residents of The Colony have been doing their best to ensure that all that can be done to prevent flooding in this area has been done. Without realising it, we were doing what people are now being advised to do by the Enviro

Over the past few months, some residents of The Colony have been doing their best to ensure that all that can be done to prevent flooding in this area has been done. Without realising it, we were doing what people are now being advised to do by the Environment Agency.

We have identified problems, such as seriously blocked drains and gullies, and reported them. Nigel Laws, Head of the East Area Highways Management Team, had believed those drains and gullies to be clear and clean. Not so, it was a good job we reported that fact. To his credit, Nigel got the whole estate checked and gullies cleared.

That just left a decades-long problem of water seeping into the road, apparently via manholes.

At our request, Nigel got together with Jim Cockburn, of South West Water, and brainstormed on site.

Talking to residents, they realised it is entirely possible that sea water is coming into the estate via an outlet on the sea wall. That means that at high tide springs, sea water has been pouring in at a rate of knots. Just the thing you need in a low-lying area!

At long last, the problem is to be tackled and, hopefully, solved. No longer will residents have to wade through water to get into their homes. We hope the disgusting smell, probably caused by the proximity of the sewer, will disappear.

We would like to publicly thank Nigel and Jim for the effort they put into solving our problems and for always being approachable and patient and helpful.

It just goes to show that, if people work together, even long-standing difficulties can be overcome.

Ann Prior,

75 Egremont Road,

Exmouth.