Storm Babet caused major disruption across the country. The Anglian Water region, covering parts of the Midlands and East of England, was particularly hard hit. Danaher & Walsh Civil Engineering supports Anglian Water as part of the IMR WR Alliance. During the storm, our teams responded to several urgent incidents across the region. It was not business as usual. However, the team pulled together, acted quickly and helped protect critical services, local communities and the environment.

11th Hour Call Helps Keep Main Hospital Open

On Monday evening at 9pm, Pilgrim Hospital faced a serious incident. A private contractor working on hospital land breached the site’s sewers. As a result, the hospital called the Fire Brigade and 25 firefighters attended. Private pumping companies also supported the response.

However, the problem remained because the sewer had fully collapsed. The sewer was not part of the Anglian Water network. Even so, the hospital contacted Anglian Water as the situation became critical.

Floodwater in the boiler room was rising quickly. Within an hour, the hospital could have faced evacuation. Danaher & Walsh has worked with Anglian Water for 18 years. Therefore, our teams had the skills and experience needed to support the response. Led by Danny Ellis, the team over-pumped across the breach in the sewer. This helped contain the situation and kept the hospital open. Most importantly, patients did not need to be disturbed.

Preventing Pollution During Flooding

Storm Babet also created environmental risks across the region. In one location, rising floodwater threatened to pollute a large and environmentally important pond.

Danaher & Walsh worked with Anglian Water overnight from Friday into Saturday morning. Together, the team used practical knowledge and quick problem-solving to prevent pollution. As a result, the team protected the pond and maintained its environmental integrity.

Supporting Local Residents in Spilsby

The team also responded to flooding near our Spilsby facility. Storm Babet caused many local roads to flood. At around 2.30pm, a neighbour contacted one of our managers directly. The road had flooded, and people could not get through.

Danaher & Walsh and Anglian Water attended the area and supported the response. The team helped manage the situation and even pushed three cars out of the flooded area.

A Strong Alliance Response

Storm Babet tested the IMR WR Alliance. However, when faced with difficult conditions, the team stayed calm, focused and committed to getting the job done.

The response at Pilgrim Hospital showed the strength of the team under pressure. Even with the risk of a main A&E hospital entering critical emergency status, the team remained focused on the task. These incidents highlight the importance of experience, teamwork and quick action during emergency response work.

Danaher & Walsh is proud to support Anglian Water and the communities we serve.

Neil Fitzjohn, Programme Operational Excellence Manager of IMR WR Alliance, said:

“I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved, and I want to thank each and every person who assisted during this event for protecting our assets, environment and the people in our region. The team’s resolve is never underestimated, and whilst the guys will consider it business as usual, this was a test that they passed with flying colours.”

These incidents highlight the importance of experience, teamwork and quick action during emergency response work.

Danaher & Walsh is proud to support Anglian Water and the communities we serve.