YORK’S River Foss flood barrier was raised when water began flooding the floor of the pumping station, forcing staff to turn off the electricity, an inquiry into the Boxing Day floods has found.

The Environment Agency (EA) today (Thursday, May 12) published an independent report into how water got into the Foss Barrier Pumping Station during the dramatic floods that hit the city on December 26.

Water flooded into the barrier’s underground service tunnel and the drainage system until it began pouring out of access points into the pumping station building.

EA staff were forced to turn off the electric supply and pumps and open the barrier so it wasn't stuck in the down position.

The report’s findings, by consultants CH2M concluded the water entered the service tunnel drainage system through a leaking construction joint and an access cover, which had been opened to pump water from the service tunnel.

It added that the peak flow on Boxing Day was “extreme” and all of the Foss Barrier's eight pumps were at full capacity, but water levels in the Foss continued to rise by approximately 140mm an hour.

The report said the EA’s decision to raise the barrier on the evening of December 26 prevented more widespread flooding and delayed the peak water levels on the Foss by 18 hours.

A £17 million upgrade is now underway to address all the recommendations in the report. This includes addressing water leaks in the service tunnel and new pumps with an increased capacity, which will be installed by winter. By the end of 2017 the pumping station will have been raised to ensure the barrier is more resilient in the long term.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the report answered many questions from people across the city.

She said there remained questions over the maintenance schedules of the barrier and whether the right tests were applied to the building structure to ensure it could cope with the levels of water pressure.

She said: “Clearly the extent of the land settlement issues and their impact on the concrete structures and seals led to the failure of the barrier. While the Environment Agency had plans for an upgrade later this year, the extent of the risks to the building structure were clearly not understood.

“It is vital that the £17m upgrade ensures that the Foss Barrier is fully functional should future river levels rise as they did last December.”

She added: “Knowing that the Environment Agency will fully implement the report’s recommendations is a positive step forward, as everyone in York deserves the peace of mind to know that when defences are in place, they will do their job. The additional £45m for city resilience plans will shortly be out for consultation.”