A Guide to Surface Water Drainage and Flooding
Surface water, also known as rainwater, storm-water or run off, is channelled through roof gutters, downspouts and road gullies into surface water drainage. This usually runs into the nearest watercourse
Surface water (from rain or melted snow and ice) will also seep into soft land such as grass and soil. But increasing urbanisation (covering land with impervious materials, such as concrete, tarmac, etc) has reduced the surface area available to absorb rainfall. In extreme weather, land becomes saturated and, when heavy rainfall follows heavy rainfall, the water table stays high and excess has nowhere to go. The result, as we are seeing more and more often, is flooding.
Time and again we see flash floods devastating communities; residents being rescued from rising waters, possessions ruined, cars washed away, roads collapsing, homes and businesses made uninhabitable and, on occasion, lives lost. A grim reminder that we are at the mercy of the elements.
Anyone with responsibility for premises, land (hard or soft), should be interested in our downloadable guide, which includes insights into:
- What you can do to help prevent surface water flooding
- What the government is doing about flooding
- Where your responsibility lies
- Legal policies and legislation
- Case studies showing how we can help you
- An infographic showing the journey of clean water. (You can also download this separately.)
To get all this and more, download your FREE copy of our Surface Water and Flooding Best Practice Guide.
