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Report road flooding

Flooding on and from the public highway

If you want to report flooding from a public highway, blocked gullies, gratings or drains then the following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can report the issue.

Sometimes puddles can occur on a road’s surface because of a depression, or dip. These can be avoided by patching the road surface. You could contact your local council to tell them of roads in your area that need this work doing on them.

• Report road flooding (opens new window)

Flooding from a burst water main

The local water supply company is responsible for water supply and the pipes up to and including the water stopcock on the boundary of your property.

• Local water supply companies (opens new window)

Flooding from other water pipes

A water service pipe takes water from the stopcock on the boundary of your property to your house. Internal pipework and the water service pipe are the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord and would need the attention of a plumber – read ‘Finding a plumber’ or look in the Yellow Pages, Thompson Local or similar directories. You could also enter the phrase ‘burst water main’ or ‘road flooding’ into an internet search engine.

• Finding a plumber
• Yellow Pages (opens new window)
• Thomson Local (opens new window)

Flooding from a main river

Main rivers are the responsibility of the Environment Agency, who you can call on 0845 933 3111. The Agency also provides a 'Floodline', which is a 24-hour advice and information service for floods and flood warning - call 0845 988 1188.

• Environment Agency (opens new window)

Flooding from watercourses

If you own land or property alongside a river or other ‘watercourse’,  you are considered a 'riparian owner'. A watercourse is any natural or artificial channel through which water flows, such as a river, brook, beck, or mill stream. Riparian owners have a duty to keep the watercourse clear of any obstruction and the council can serve legal notices on riparian owners to deal with obstructions.

Certain main watercourses, that are known to pose a high risk of property flooding if they become blocked, are checked and maintained by the council's contractor on a regular basis.

You can contact your local council's planning department to confirm whether you are a riparian owner. There is more advice available from the Environment Agency on the rights and responsibilities of riparian landowners.

• Find your local council
• Advice from the Environment Agency (opens new window)

Flooding from sewers

The water company owns and manages the network of public water sewers. The majority of public sewers are located in highways and the council has a copy of the sewer maps, which can be viewed at the council offices. To report an overflowing public sewer, you should contact your local council.

• Find your local council

Flooding from drains

If your private drains or sewers are overflowing, you will need a drainage contractor to deal with any blockage. Look for contractors in your area in the Yellow Pages, Thomspon Local, or other directories, under 'Drain and Pipe Cleaning'. If you are uncertain if any blockage is in public or private sewers, then contact the local water company. They should be able to determine this, once on site. If the sewer is private and your responsibility, then the water company may be able to do the repair work and charge you the cost of any work.

• Yellow Pages (opens new window)
• Thomson Local (opens new window)

How problems occur

Sometimes road flooding still occurs even when drains are in good working order because of:

• heavy rainfall
• a road being in a low-lying area
  
• changes in 'run off' from adjacent fields 
  
• rivers overflowing

Material carried into the drains by floods can also lead to blockages. Drainage grills and gratings (for example, on gullies) can become blocked very quickly when materials like mud are deposited on the road or when there is a heavy fall of leaves.