One of the key difficulties with flooding response and preparedness that I have heard from residents in Runnymede in Weybridge is the complexity of who to contact in the event of an issue. Several bodies have responsibilities for flooding including Runnymede and Elmbridge Borough Councils, Surrey County Council, the Local Resilience Forum, and the Environment Agency. Below is a guide of who to contact currently, but as part of my work on flooding I have also pushed for a more joined-up response that will see one Flood Contact Centre number for residents to call.
Flood contact information for constituents
In the event of a flood, it is essential that residents can access advice and assistance without delay.
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Where there is a threat to life or safety, this should be treated in the same way as any other emergency by calling 999 and speaking to a call handler who will summon assistance from the correct emergency service.
In all other cases, if you are unsure of which agency to contact for advice or assistance, you can contact your borough council: who help to co-ordinate local flood response actions.
- For Runnymede residents: 01932 838383
- For Elmbridge residents: 01372 474474 or out of hours 0300 369 0576
My office can also assist with escalating requests for help with the relevant authorities. I can be contacted at [email protected]
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Further information on the roles and contact details for statutory flood authorities are set out below:
The Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is responsible for maintaining and monitoring our rivers. At times of heavy rainfall and potential flooding, the EA provides information to the public on anticipated water levels and issues flood warnings.
You can keep up to date with flood warnings for your location here: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings
You can sign up to receive EA flood warnings here: https://www.fws.environment-agency.gov.uk/app/olr/home
You can also contact the EA’s floodline for information on the following numbers:
Telephone: 0345 988 1188
Textphone: 0345 602 6340
County and Borough Councils
- Surrey County Council
SCC is our Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Surrey and is responsible for addressing surface water flooding. SCC can be contacted to report roads and drains obstructed by flood water, as well as for questions relating to Adult Social Care and vulnerable residents.
Where to find key information and report flooding
Flooded highways: 0300 2001003
Social care and health information: 01932 794800
Out of hours: 01483 517898
www.surreycc.gov.uk/community/emergency-planning-and-community-safety/flooding
- Runnymede and Elmbridge Borough Councils
District and Borough Councils are key partners to the LLFA in dealing with local flooding issues. They perform services including: looking after the care and welfare of residents (such as providing shelter and re-housing); assisting with evacuation and transport services, and, coordinating with other statutory authorities and warning/informing the public.
You can find key information and report flooding in each of these areas on the following links:
www.elmbridge.gov.uk/your-council/keeping-you-safe-emergency/flooding
Water companies
- Thames Water
Thames Water is responsible for water supply and sewerage assets across most of the constituency. Sewage flooding should be reported to Thames Water on 0800 316 9800.
Information on the clean-up services offered by Thames Water can be found here: www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-and-waste-help/sewer-flooding/cleaning…
- Affinity Water
Affinity Water supplies water (but not sewerage services) to areas of the constituency. Customers experiencing outages in water supply or needing to report mains bursts can contact their 24-hour emergency line on 0345 357 2407.
Other
For canals, contact Basingstoke Canal Authority on: 01252 370073
Be prepared
For further information about how to ensure you are prepared should flooding occur, please view the links below:
- How to prepare for a flood incident: Prepare for a flood – Runnymede Borough Council
- Identify flood risk in your area: Check the long term flood risk for an area in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Sign up for the Flood Alert service: https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings
- How to prepare your personal flood plan: Personal flood plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Flood protection measures: Protecting your property – National Flood Forum
- Information regarding flood insurance: Flood Re - A flood re-insurance scheme
Water safety
While we enjoy our many lakes and rivers across the constituency, they do also present a risk, so we should all know what to do in a water emergency. Below are links to a number of sites containing information about water safety, open water swimming and even how to access swimming lessons.
Swimming and water safety advice and information
The Water Safety Code provides essential and easy-to-remember information to help people plan for their activity and understand what they should do in an emergency. You can find more information about the Code here: What is the Water Safety Code? - Swim England Learn to Swim Companion (swimming.org)
Open water swimming can be a great experience, but does carry different risks. You can find out more about open water swimming and how to make sure you are safe and prepared here:
- Open water swimming | Safety on our waterways | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk)
- Wild swimming | The Rivers Trust
- nationalwatersafety.org.uk/media/1145/open-water-swimming.pdf
- OSS top 10 tips for safe summer swimming – Outdoor Swimming Society Outdoor Swimming Society
Some organisations provide additional support as well as advice. The RNLI offer free Swim Safe Sessions, which you can learn about here: Swim Safe - Beach and Water Safety Sessions for Children (rnli.org)
