White Cart Water Flood Prevention Project

The White Cart Water in Glasgow, Scotland, is part of the larger River Cart, which itself is a tributary of the River Clyde. The river has a long history of flash flooding, with 20 major floods since 1908 causing significant damage to the surrounding areas. In 2002, the Glasgow City Council decided to implement a plan for flood prevention along a heavily populated 10-km stretch of area that includes 1,750 homes and 40 businesses.

While the safety of residents was the most important concern, planners also needed an option that was economical and environmentally friendly. This meant the planning team needed to go beyond building basic floodwalls along the riverbanks.

So, the planners contacted Hydro Intl. The U.K.-based storm water and wastewater treatment specialist recommended its Hydro-Brake flow control valves, self-activating vortex flow controls with no moving parts and no need for external power.

The next decision was how to implement the technology. Statistics provided by Hydro showed that the White Cart Water can reach levels of 6 meters after just 30 minutes of rain. Whatever measures were taken, therefore, needed the ability to handle huge amounts of water.

The company installed five of its flow control valves throughout the summer of 2010 to create the largest Hydro-Brake in the world. The two largest segments of the device measured 8 meters long and 6 meters in diameter.

The flow control solution was installed near three bridges, all upstream from Glasgow, and the project created a 90,000-sq-meter wetland habitat.