20/03/2006 - Measuring
river levels and flows is crucially important for
flood warnig and drought management, and now the
Environment Agency is testing a new method using
renewable energy with cutting edge technology.
A flow measurement or gauging
station on the River Riccal near Nunnington in North
Yorkshire is now powered entirely by renewable energy
from a solar panel and a small wind turbine, and
uses the latest ultrasonic equipment to take measurements.
This station provides flow data
to help the management of water resources and flooding
in the area. This is the first fully operational
flow measurement station in the region to use this
technology.
If the trial is successful, it
will hopefully pave the way for the greater use
of renewable energy systems at other flow measurement
stations in the area.
David Lindsay, the Environment
Agency’s Senior Hydrologist for the area, said:
“It’s crucially important that
the Environment Agency knows what is happening in
the rivers of the north east. This helps to manage
floods and droughts, saving lives and property and
protecting the environment. The River Riccal is
a tributary of the Derwent, a river with a history
of flooding and one from which water is taken to
supply homes throughout Yorkshire.
“This sophisticated flow measurement
station using renewable energy avoids depending
on mains electricity and is of course better for
the environment – the power is free and doesn’t
come from a polluting source.”
