A company which warned it was one bad flood away from going under has been given a lifeline after working with the Environment Agency to combat the issue.

The owners of Dartford Composites – a major supplier to Kent’s rail industry – were at the end of their tether just six months ago with every bout of bad wet weather threatening to put them out of business.

But after working with the Environment Agency to find a solution and root out the cause of the problem owners Ruth and Mark Silvester are confident their business can now stay afloat.

For the last five years the managers of the specialist fibreglass manufacturing factory, based at Jubilee Works in Ness Road, Erith near the Dartford Creek Barrier have struggled with severe flooding.

As a result they have had to call in tankers at great expense to remove rainwater from the factory floors.

Ruth told KentOnline: “We had welllies constantly lined up at the factory door.

“At weekends we would check the weather forecasts and keep an eye on the CCTV. If the cameras weren’t working we knew there was a problem.

“We would always make sure we stayed nearby in case we needed to rush to the factory and get out the paddle pumps and water hoovers.”

When rain fell heavy and the pair were still at work they started to spot the first signs of trouble.

Company director Mark said: “You would hear the toilets start to bubble and you just knew it was time to jump up and get the pumps running.”

He added: “We would find ourselves just moving water away from the building to give us an extra few hours free of flooding.”

The worst it got was when they saw 900,000 litres of water pumped away from the site in lorries.

Employees got used to spending half their shift moving water and the other half knee-deep in a puddle.

“They were amazing,” Ruth said of their workforce. “They would just carry on working standing in water.”

All the company’s furniture is mounted on blocks and pallets to stop it being damaged by the flooding, whilst the server is stuck three foot high on the wall.

Ruth said: “It’s not fun when you are in the middle of a call to a client and you get cut off because the fuse has blown and the electic has gone.”

The sales and marketing director added: “We were taking every precaution we could to ensure we could keep trading despite the floods.We woudl learn a new creative way to work every day.”

But the couple got to a point in November when they just did not know what to do.

Mark said: “I’m not a quitter but even I sat at my desk, and had no idea where to go.”

The answer came when, after spending the last five years trying to get to the bottom of the issue themselves, Ruth secured the help of Kent and South London Environment Agency.

The experts determined the colvert which led water away from the site and into the River Thames was blocked and have worked to clear it.

Gareth Oliver, from Kent and South London Environment Agency said: “Once we cleared the colvert the water level dropped by about two foot, which seems to have solved the issue.

“It has meant Ruth and Mark have been able to carry on operarting as well as other businesses in the area which had not been able to get to their sites when it rained. So it has made a huge impact.”

While they sorted the issue the Environment Agency also supplied the Dartford Composites with an industrial-sized pump which typically costs £1,000 a month and permisssion to use it.

Fuel Oils, which are based on the same industrial site, provided fuel for the pump at cost price.

Mark said: “Everyone has just mucked in to help.”

The issue was not helped by ditches at the side of the road, supposed to help collect water, being so full of fridges, TVs, mattresses and other junk there was no space for them to collect water.

Last summer firefighters spent nearly seven hours battling a huge blaze which engulfed five hectares of marshland next to the River Darent .

Disgruntled business owners warned of the risks of flammable fly-tipping along both Ray Lamb Way and Wallhouse Road, leading to the business park.

Mark said: “The capacity of the ditches has been severely reduced because of the fly-tipping.”

However, the company director believes the responsibility of clearing the side of the road is down to the landowners – understood to be Berkley Homes.

A spokesman for Berkeley Homes said: “We are working with the council to try and resolve the flytipping problem, which is a longstanding issue affecting this area.”

The fibreglass manufacturer is a major supplier to Kent’s rail industry with repeat clients including Southeastern and Transport for London.

It has been trading for more than three decades but has not been able to get insurance for the past few years as their premium has tribled due to excess flood risk.

However, there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

The improvements to the drainage system were tested in recent weeks with the severe rainfall and the couple are hoping they are finally home and dry.

Ruth said: “With the heavy rain in the last two weeks we would have expected to be hit really badly. But we haven’t.”

She added: “We’ve put the wellies back in the cupboard.”