Severn Trent issues flooding advice ahead of Storm Bert

Severn Trent has issued storm and flooding advice to customers as Storm Bert is expected to hit the Midlands over the weekend.

To make sure people are as prepared as they can be for another period of heavy rainfall, the water company's sharing advice to help reduce any impact of flooding on peoples’ homes and to make sure they know who to contact:

• For flooding on roads, small rivers and streams - you should contact your local council to report flooding on roads or blocked drains or grates on highways. They will also help you with groundwater surface flooding, as well as flooding in streams, brooks and small rivers. 

• For major river flooding - The Environment Agency will be able to help you if you are at risk of flooding due to rising river levels. You can find more information and contact details on their website. Their Flood line number is 0345 988 1188. 

• For sewer flooding or flooding due to burst pipes - If the flooding is coming from the public sewer you will need to contact us. If the flooding is due to heavy rain, we may need to wait for the flood water to subside before we can investigate. You should also contact your insurer so they can give you help and advice. 

Steve Betteridge, Head of Waste Network Operations, Severn Trent said: “We know just how distressing any form of flooding can be and with more extreme weather events on the horizon being driven by climate change, we want to make sure that our customers are as prepared as possible if we see a return of last year’s stormy conditions.”

Storms can produce different kinds of flooding events, with surface water on the streets potentially resulting from blocked roadside drains, ground saturation, or when the amount of rain falling overwhelms the capacity of the sewers.

Steve added: “If the flooding is rainwater, it should subside on its own once the weather starts to clear and it stops raining. But if you see sewer flooding from a public drain or manhole should contact us and we’ll send someone out as soon as possible.”

There are a few steps that people can take to help keep their home flood-free during stormy conditions:

• Empty any water butts in the garden before the rain starts, this will help reduce the rainwater flow into the drains when a storm arrives.

• Check that your home and garden drains are free-flowing – clear out any leaves or other waste so rainwater can more easily flow away.

• Have a look at the roadside drains around your house and clear any leaves or debris that you can – or get in touch with your local council if blocked.

Any experience of flooding can be stressful, but Severn Trent suggests that this can be helped by knowing who to call in the event of flooding taking place.

Steve continued: “Knowing who to contact first time can save a lot of worry and help to make sure that the right calls are able to get through. People might naturally think of contacting Severn Trent first, but it could be another agency that they have to speak to.

“We can help when it comes to sewer flooding from public drains or manholes, while the Environment Agency are the right people to contact if a river bursts its banks, and your local council can assist with blocked roadside drains, or if small streams or brooks are overflowing.”

Sewer flooding can be more likely if people have disposed of the wrong things down the drain. Items like tampons, wet wipes and sanitary products, or nappies which are flushed down the toilet, and fats, oils and grease from the kitchen can all contribute to forming blockages in sewers that can give sewage nowhere else to go.

Steve added: “To help keep the sewer pipes in your neighbourhood flowing freely, you should only ever flush the three Ps – pee, poo and paper – down the loo, and scrape any sauces, gravy and food scraps from plates into the bin instead of rinsing down the sink, and cooking oil can be poured into a bottle and then thrown away.”

More information, including details on who to contact in the event of flooding can be found at www.stwater.co.uk.

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