PEOPLE in Purley are waking up to discover firefighters are pumping water into the pedestrian underpass of the town's biggest junction to save 400 homes in Kenley and Whyteleafe from being flooded.
Almost all fire stations in the south west of London have been on rotation helping local fire crews pump flood water from the Kenley Water Works, Godstone Road, into the Caterham bourne.
However, Croydon Council announced last night that it had been forced to ask firefighters to pump excess water into the Purley Cross underpass.
"As the situation in the area continues to deteriorate, and with more heavy rain forecast, a decision has been made to pump excess water away from the worst affected areas and into the Purley Cross gyratory pedestrian underpass," a council statement said
"This action is being taken in a bid to protect around 400 homes and businesses and to keep the Kenley water treatment works from being flooded by surging water."
The decision to fill the underpass with up to 600,000 litres of water was made after the area's flood pond at Purley Oaks Depot overflowed yesterday.
The underpass pond will allow firefighters and engineers to pump excess flood water away from 400 at risk homes and businesses in the area.
Since the flooding of the Kenley Water Works on Friday, a 'major incident' has been called, pulling together a "gold command" team, made up of representatives from the council, Environment Agency, emergency services, neighbouring authorities, Thames Water and TfL.
Croydon Council leader Mike Fisher said: "This has not been an easy decision to take but it has become increasingly clear over the past few hours that we have no alternative if we are to protect people's homes and businesses from being flooded."
Becky Carrier, who lives with her family in a block of flats near the water works, said a number of pipes had burst and water was just inches from flooding the property.
"We woke up this morning to find on of the man holes they have made to put the pipes underground was pouring water into our front gardens," she said.
"Water is coming up from under the ground and getting closer and closer - we are inches rather than metres from being flooded."
Ms Carrier said the flats had asked for extra sandbags last night and have had a delivery of more this morning.
"It's very difficult to know what's going on and if we're going to be ok," she said.
Members of the gold team have been handing out sandbags to affected properties and clearing the river Borne of any rubbish which might cause it to block up and overflow further.
The fight to keep the Sutton and Easy Surrey water works in Kenley involves preventing it from becoming contaminated.
The facility provides for up to 47,000 homes and 116,000 people who might be cut off if the situation worsens.
However, the company has said if it does have to shut down water treatment it is planning to supply its customers by re-routing additional supplies from other treatment works.
"We have teams working 24/7 and they will continue to do so until the danger has passed," said operations manager, Richard Rap
"But the situation has and can continue to change dramatically at any moment. While we hope for the best we are prepared for the worst."
Managing director, Anthony Ferrar, said: "We would very much regret having to shut down Kenley treatment works and are doing all we can to make sure it does not happen.
"But this is a major incident and if the site is overwhelmed our overriding concern has to be to ensure the integrity and safety of our water supply."
Coulsdon weatherman Ian Currie said that 500mm (20 inches) of rain had fallen since December 12. This was an unprecedented amount and that there had been nothing like it since the 18th century. All this water is percolating down into the sub-stratas and emerging in the Caterham bourne, which only appears at times of extreme rainfall.
"The situation will get worse as much of this water has not yet found its way into the water course," he said. "In 2000, when it last flooded, there was less rain than in this winter. I expect the problem to get worse in the days and weeks to come."
