Drainage and flooding

There are things you can do to reduce the impact of flooding and preparing in advance will help you keep calm during a stressful situation. We have some recommendations as to what you can do now to ensure you're prepared.

What can you do to prepare for a flood?

• check you have the correct home insurance cover in case your property floods - use the Flood Re website to find advice on affordable home insurance
• create a flood plan to help decide on practical actions 
• put together a kit of essential items you would need to take in the event of evacuation (important documents, medication, mobile phone)
• consider investing in additional flood protection measures

Sandbags

Residents and businesses at risk of flooding are advised to take proactive steps to protect their property. This could include installing your own flood protection measures or retaining a stock of sand/sandbags.

We do not provide sandbags, however in emergencies, we may able to provide a limited number of sandbags to properties in immediate danger of internal flooding. During severe weather the demand for this will be high and we highly recommend that residents make their own arrangements in advance if possible. Sandbags and sand can be purchased from most good builders’ merchants and large DIY stores.

Please note: any sandbags issued will not be collected by us afterwards. If they have come into contact with flood water they may be contaminated by sewage.

To request sandbags please call 0300 123 7036.

Buying sandbags might help, but you should check the Gov.UK website for advice on sandbags and how best to protect your home.

Keep your drains/grids clear

If safe to do so, please remove leaves and debris that are covering the top of your grids. This will help prevent blockages which could cause localised flooding in heavy rainfall.

Watercourse responsibilities

If you live next to a watercourse, for example a river, culvert, brook or mill stream, it's your responsibility to keep the bed and banks clear of anything that could cause an obstruction and increase flood risk.

Further information about the rights and responsibilities of riverside ownership can be found on the Gov.UK website. Alternatively, you could contact the Environment Agency if you have any queries about your responsibilities.