Emergency services were called to four other incidents of vehicles being submerged in water in the months leading up to the deaths of Elaine Marco, 76 and her husband Philip, 77, according to the independent report published by Liverpool City Council on Monday.
According to the report, an investigation into the flooding and hydraulic modelling carried out by water company United Utilities showed “surcharging of the sewer network” during heavy rainfall was the primary cause of the flooding.
The report, commissioned with engineering firm Mott Macdonald, said members of the public reported a “plume of water” gushing out of the sewer’s inspection chamber, where the manhole cover had blown, causing the water level to rise “extremely quickly”.
Flooding on a Liverpool road where a couple drowned was caused because the sewer network could not “cope” with heavy rainfall, according to a report.
The report recommended United Utilities, along with the council and Network Rail, work to find permanent solutions to reduce the frequency and impact of flooding in the area.
