Why do our drains stay blocked for so long?

Sir, – Amidst ever increasing council cutbacks it is well known that numerous drains in and around Dundee are blocked.

I regularly walk down Castleroy Road, Bughties Road in the Ferry, en route to the bowling club, and for many years all of the drains have been completely blocked solid, and not just by leaves but by gravel and earth.

Two or three months ago four drains were cleared, at the junction of Camphill Road and Castleroy Road, but the rest remain blocked for some reason.

Every time it rains there is a torrent of water flowing down Castleroy Road and Panmure Street.

The biggest problem is caused by one half way up Castleroy Road.

Five yards uphill from this drain (up an access road) water constantly appears from underground and runs down the road.

I worked for the water board for many years and suspect the blocked drain is causing the water to back up and it’s leaking out from the nearest gap in the pipe.

The surface has been dug up twice in the last year or so in an attempt to locate the leak, but it’s made no difference.

Never, in all this time, have they thought about clearing this drain to allow the water to escape and probably solve the problem.

Two weeks ago we had a power cut during the night, during torrential rain.

SSE came out and traced the problem to an electricity access manhole, two yards uphill from this infamous blocked drain.

Again a massive area was dug up and a connection in this manhole was repaired or replaced.

It is highly likely that this blocked drain has caused the rain to back up to this connection and cause it to be waterlogged and yet still they didn’t think to unblock the drain.

The hole they dug actually goes right up to this drain.

We pay one of the higher rates of council tax in this area and feel we get very little in return.

Instead we live with blocked drains, as well as the terrible condition of Bughties Road surface. Adrian B Fuller. Castleroy Crescent, Broughty Ferry.