Overview
Oxford Quins is a well-established community rugby club based in Oxfordshire, serving senior men’s and women’s teams, youth sections and wider sporting activities. As the club continues to develop its site as a multi-sport hub and community facility, it commissioned Terrain Surveys to undertake a comprehensive below-ground connectivity and condition survey of the surface water drainage infrastructure. The aim was to understand the route, capacity and condition of the underground drainage network beneath the sports pitches, clubhouse buildings and surrounding site, laying the foundation for future-proofing the facility’s water management strategy, reducing flood risk and enabling the creation of new environmental habitats.
Survey
We approached the project with a methodical, site-specific plan. Initial site inspections revealed that several of the existing ditches, which function as inlet or outlet routes for the drainage system, had become heavily obstructed by sediment, debris and overgrown vegetation. To ensure the camera and tracing equipment could access the drainage network reliably, our team first cleared these ditches and verified they were free from blockage. With the ditches prepared, the main survey phase was undertaken. Using electronic line-tracing, the buried surface-water pipework beneath the pitches and servicing the clubhouse was accurately mapped. This tracing work allowed the identification of concealed manhole chambers even where they were not visible at the surface. For chambers that were accessible, we exposed and inspected them directly; for those located beneath active pitch surfaces or in deep trenches, we located them using a metal detector and recorded their positions as part of a topographical survey for future reference. Throughout the work our team established safe-working zones and ensured public access and club operations could continue without disruption, recognising that the sports ground remained in continuous use. The resulting deliverable comprised a full connectivity and condition survey report, detailing pipe-routings, capacity assessments, condition ratings and spatially referenced manhole and drainage-ditch data.
Results
The outcome for Oxford Quins was significant and multi-faceted. The club now holds a detailed and accurate mapped network of its below-ground surface-water drainage system, including routes of field drains and sub-soil pipework, locations of manhole chambers (exposed or detected) and inlet/outlet ditches. With the condition assessment completed, the club has clear insight into which elements of the drainage infrastructure are serviceable, where deterioration or blockage risks exist and where targeted maintenance or repair is advisable. The clearing of obstructed ditches and renewal of access to key inlets and outlets has already improved hydraulic performance and reduced the risk of pitch water-logging or localized flooding events. Importantly, because the survey was carried out while the sports facilities remained operational, the club maintained full continuity of its community and sporting programmes. With the infrastructure data in hand, Oxford Quins is now prepared to implement an informed surface-water management strategy – this encompasses flood-risk mitigation, proactive maintenance of drainage systems, and the development of sustainable drainage and environmental-habitat enhancements as the site evolves as a multi-sport and community hub.
