Work to clean and empty highway drainage gullies in Oxfordshire this year, and every year going forward, is now underway.
The enhanced programme began in Wheatley last month. Contractors working on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council are planning to clean nearly 145,000 highway drains, gullies, manholes and catchpits by the end of March 2026.
The £2.6 million programme is taking place after an additional £1.5 million investment to improve highway drainage was approved in the council’s 2025 – 2026 budget.
Drain cleaning was previously carried out on a four-year cycle, although high-priority drains—such as those in areas most at risk of flooding and on high-speed roads—were cleaned more regularly.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We recognised the need to improve drainage, especially following the flooding in the county last year caused by exceptionally wet weather.
“This money will be used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair the infrastructure connecting the gullies to the outlets. Improving drainage also helps protect roads by getting water off the surfaces, reducing the risk of potholes forming during freezing weather.”
Waste is removed from the drains using suction pipes, and then they are cleaned with jets of water. Some may require digging out by hand if a lot of silt has accumulated.
It is expected that the work will cause minimal disruption, although there might be temporary traffic lights or manually operated stop-go signs in operation if lane or road closures are necessary.
Motorists will be asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when the work is due to take place, and to take care when driving past gully emptying operations.
The cleaning programme is being carried out by specialist operator Drainline on behalf of the council’s principal highway maintenance contractor M Group, previously known as Milestone Infrastructure.
Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We are proud to be working with Oxfordshire County Council and Drainline to deliver this crucial year-long programme, which will improve our drainage systems and reduce the risk of flooding and potholes.
“With Drainline’s expert team and specialised tanker fleet, we are well equipped to tackle even the toughest drainage challenges.
“While we’ve designed the programme to minimise public disruption, I’d like to thank residents and motorists for their cooperation in providing access by moving vehicles. This support is crucial for our teams to perform their vital work, ensuring the safety and durability of Oxfordshire’s roads.”
Capacity has almost doubled, with eight gully tankers working on the programme – six 18-tonne vehicles and two 26-tonne jetting tankers. The larger vehicles are used when an issue, such as a blockage, demands high volume or high-pressure jetting.
Two of the tankers also work at night when traffic levels are lower, but only on rural roads to avoid disturbing residents.
All tankers are equipped with asset management software that will collect accurate data on all drainage in the county.
The technology also records any drain or gully that cannot be accessed, for example, due to a car being parked over it or a stuck cover. This ensures a revisit can be scheduled or repair works prioritised.
A schedule, which can be viewed on the council’s website, is in place for the tankers to travel all around the county to complete the programme. However, the teams will still react to urgent incidents of blockages or flooding.
The council does recycle what it can from the waste. Using purpose-built de-watering bays at its depot in Drayton, near Abingdon, water is removed and filtered. The de-watered gully waste is then dried, screened and graded, recovering as much of the original waste as possible and removing any non-recyclable contaminants.
These recycled materials can then potentially be used in highways work as filler material for resurfacing, topsoil replacement, or be fed into the production of recycled aggregates, subject to appropriate material and chemical testing results and stakeholder agreement. Residents can report blocked drains and gullies through Fix My Street, which is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
