The Birse aqua barrier, trialled by City of York Council earlier this year, proved its effectiveness recently in its first live flood emergency.

The council was advised by the Environment Agency that the River Ouse was about to burst its banks in the area of York, so mobilised the aqua barrier. The plastic barrier modules subsequently held back a wall of water approximately 1m high, preventing flooding of many properties. The aqua barrier system is designed around the use of hollow plastic modules incorporating holes to allow them to fill with water to increase stability during flooding.