In My Area
What to do if you have flooding
We know that flooding can be upsetting and stressful espcially when you're not sure who to contact to get everything sorted. Here's some helpful information on how to tell what kind of flooding is happening, and what to do.
1.Let us know
If your home is flooded and you think it's because of a public sewer or shared lateral drain, let us know. You can report the problem online by clicking below, chat to one of our team online or call us on 0800 783 4444. We're here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We'll help you work out what's caused the flood. If we can't quite get to the bottom of it, we'll arrange for someone to come out and take a look. We always aim to get there within 4 hours for internal sewer flooding and within 12 hours for outdoor sewer flooding. Don't worry - we'll let you know what time to expect us.
2. Contact your insurer
After you've contacted us, get in touch with your insurer straight away to let them know what's happened. It's a good idea to arrange any clean up (inside and outside your home) and damage replacement with them if you need to. They'll be able to advise you on cleaning up, disinfecting your home and the replacement of any damaged property. If you don't contact them, you may not be able to claim in the future. We know a thing or two about clearing up after a flood, and can give you lots of practical advice on what to do. If the flood has been caused by the public sewer, once the flooding has gone down, we'll usually help out with the basic clean up (unless this could damage or contaminate your belongings). A deep-clean should be done by professional cleaners, so we can't do this for you.
3. What we'll do
We'll work hard to find out what caused the flood, and how we can stop it from happening again. If it's not clear what's caused it straight away, we'll look into it further and let you know when we do find out. Sometimes this isn't simple, and can take a while to work out - so please be patient. If the flooding has been caused by the public sewer systems, we'll work to stop this from happening again. If it hasn't, we'll let you know what we can do to help - and what you need to do next. You'll find more information in our handy guide to sewer flooding.
It's useful to know who's responsible for what:
Major River flooding
Higher levels of rainwater can cause rivers to burst it's banks causing large amounts of flood water and damage. For this, you'll need to have a chat with and the Environment Agency on 0345 988 1188. They will be able to advise further with the next steps you need to take.
River, Stream and rainwater flooding
When it's raining heavily, you may notice rainwater, surface water flooding and smaller rivers and streams are bursting. Call your local flood authority who'll be able to help and provide advice. You can find out who this is for your area by searching online.
Highway and Roads flooding
If the flooding is coming from a highway drain (the ones with holes you can drop keys down) or a gully in the road near to you, speak to your local county council authority for smaller roads, and the Highways Authority for busier and larger routes. They're responsible for these drains in the road, and can help you further.
Sewer Flooding
If you have sewer debris like toilet paper then this will be a sewer flooding. If it's coming from the public sewer we'll be responsible for this. Get in touch with us, and we'll be able to help and provide advice on what to do. If the flooding is only affecting your home and is coming from a private drain on yours or your neighbours boundary, then you or the owner of the drain will need to arrange the repair.
Remember, if it’s rainwater flooding, then this will drop when the rain stops. Give it a few hours, and see if it improves. For sewage coming out of a manhole, report this to us and we’ll visit your home to investigate.
Phone
(collapses content)