What is surface water flooding and how can I reduce the risk?
Surface water flooding can occur when intense rainfall inundates a drainage system. Mary Dhonau OBE, CEO of Know Your Flood Risk, advises the importance of knowing your risk of surface water flooding and protecting your homes from flooding as insurance arrangements will not prevent any disruption or emotional trauma caused by flooding and the aftermath.
When we have prolonged, frequent, heavy rainfall, our drainage systems may become overwhelmed or blocked by debris. This causes surface water flooding in gardens and homes alike. The current threat to our environment and climate change suggests that the weather and flooding are sadly only going to get worse.
Surface water flooding flows downhill, collecting in low-lying areas (driveways, gardens etc) causing standing water. This means, if your home lies at the foot of a slope, your house may be at particular risk of surface water flooding causing devastation if the flood reaches inside your home.
How could surface water flooding affect my me?
Surface water is a high risk due to its possible reach. "Of all the flood risks to which our rainy island is subject - from coasts, rivers, groundwater, sewers and surface water – it is surface water flooding which threatens more people and properties than any other form of flood risk. Over 3 million properties in England are at risk of surface water flooding, even more than those at risk from rivers and the sea (2.7 million). Surface water flooding is a risk because of its effect. It hits not just individual homes and businesses, but the whole infrastructure – road, rail, utilities etc – of a town or city, disrupting pretty much all aspects of modern life", Sir James Bevan KCMG, Chief Executive at the Environment Agency.
To check if you're at risk of flooding in England, follow this link:
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings
Steps to take to reduce surface water flooding:
- Instead of using hard paving on your driveway, there are other options that can help prevent floodings such as permeable paving or a plastic ‘honeycomb system’. This system uses plastic grids that can be filled with soil and grass seed or with gravel. The honeycomb system uses the soil/gravel to keep it in place – either way, you can be sure that it is robust an stable enough for your car to be parked on.
- Install a 'rain planter' in your garden. This can be an easy, attractive way to manage and filter rainwater on your property. This system works by diverting rainwater from your roof downpipe, filtering through the soil and/or sand before it overflows into your garden on driveways. Check out Hebden Bridge town hall example here.
Check out the below images for more measures you can take to protect your properties.
Mary Dhonau Associates (MDA) is a specialist independent flood resilience consultancy advising and assisting in flood prevention and resilience and have provided the below:
If you have experienced surface water flooding or are experiencing standing water, Metro Rod West Yorkshire can provide a flood relief service.
Our vacuum tankers are an excellent method of floodwater relief. With our tanker services, we are able to provide fast removal of water and further debris. Removing 2000 gallons of water within minutes.
Recently Metro Rod West Yorkshire was called out to a local school which had standing water in their tennis courts. The engineer was able to report to the Metro Rod West Yorkshire team that the flooded tennis courts were due to blocked drains overflowing and running down the banking. The blocked drains were likely to be caused by debris from hard rainfall. Read more in the case study.
If you’d like more information on surface water flooding and drainage, and you’re in the West Yorkshire area, visit the Metro Rod West Yorkshire page to get in touch.
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We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
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