The actions that YOU take on your property can contribute to making flooding better OR WORSE both on your property and outwith your property - YOUR ACTIONS CAN AND WILL IMPACT OTHERS.
We can all take action to to help minimise risks and impacts of flooding. The cumulative impact of many small interventions could result in a significant amount of runoff being attenuated (slowed down and temporarily stored) during a storm event. The next time it rains, grab your umbrella and take a walk to watch where the rain goes.
The following animation provides as useful overview on the challenges and how we can all play a part in reducing the risks and impacts - Let's Get Nibbling!
The following sections provide further information on specific actions that can be taken:-
Familiarise yourself with the national flood maps for Scotland - the maps show areas which are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water, and are designed to help you understand how you could be affected by flooding. The maps are available online here - https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/flooding/flood-maps/. This is particularly important if you are considering the purchase of a property.
If a property is at risk of experiencing a 1% (1 in 100yr) flooding event in any single year, the cumulative probability of that event occurring over the course of 20 years (roughly the length of a mortgage) rises to 18.21%. (Source - SEPA Technical Flood Risk Guidance for Stakeholders (p30) - https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/162602/ss-nfr-p-002-technical-flood-risk-guidance-for-stakeholders.pdf)
Prepare a flood plan - Floodline Scotland provides useful information about how to prepare for, react to and recover from flooding.
Floodwater is dangerous and contains pollutants - just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move a car, so never attempt to drive through floodwater, and definitely don't swim in it!
Consider installation of property flood resistance / resilience (PFR) measures - PFR (sometimes know as property flood protection (PLP) measures) can reduce the likelihood of flooding impacting your property, and reduce the amount of time to recover if flooding does happen. Further information on PFR measures are available online at a range of website, such as here, here, here, and here. CIRIA has also published a Code of Practice for PFR measures - available here - and produced an animation to support the Code of Practice - available here. The Scottish Goverment: Living with Flooding action plan recommends actions for a range of stakeholders to take to help promote property flood resilience in Scotland.
Maintain existing SuDS - many newer homes already have SuDS installed within the curtilage - usually in the form of permable paving driveway, sometimes also with storage below the surface. The property owner usually has responsibility to maintain these SuDS and ensure that they are operating effectively in terms of flood risk management and water quality.
Maintain your drainage and watercourses - to keep it clear of debris that may cause obstruction to flow. This includes culverted watercourses that may run underneath your land and for which you have responsibility as the 'riparian owner'.
Notify the council about blocked drains / road gullies - if you are aware of blocked drains / road gullies in your area, let the local council know asap so they can take action before the next time it rains.
Consider opportunities for retrofit surface water management SuDS and green infrastructure - to reduce the amount of and rate at which surface water from roofs and other hardstanding areas leaves your property, such as:-
When selling your house - make sure that details - location, purpose, maintenance responsibilities, mantenance regime / costs, etc - of any SuDS (either private or communal) are communicated to potential buyers to ensure awareness.
Further guidance is available on the following websites:-
Public bodies will do what they can to reduce the overall impacts of floods and ensure that, where possible, the risks are minimised.
Review the national flood maps for Scotland - to consider which areas and infrastructure is at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water. The maps are available online here - https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/flooding/flood-maps/
Prepare a flood plan - Floodline Scotland provides useful information about how to prepare for, react to and recover from flooding.
Maintain drainage and watercourses - including culverted watercourses.
Maintain existing SuDS - in line with the recommended maintenance schedule to ensure they are operating effectively in terms of flood risk management and water quality.
Consider opportunities for retrofit surface water management SuDS and green infrastructure - to slow down / reduce surface water discharge. Further guidance is available on the following websites:-
Slow The Flow: At School & WWT SuDS for Schools
Raingardens in Schools leaflet and lesson resources
Raingardens in Built Developments leaflet, which provides an overview on the use of SuDS in a variety of settings.
Note - if you can remove all surface water discharge from your property (such as roofs, private car parks and private roads) to the public sewer, you may no longer have to pay the Property drainage charge element of your Drainage charge applied in relation to the ratable value of your property. You will still be liable for the Roads drainage element of the Drainage charge.
Familiarise yourself the national flood maps for Scotland - the maps show areas which are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water, and are designed to help you understand how you could be affected by flooding. The maps are available online here - https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/flooding/flood-maps/
Prepare a flood plan - Floodline Scotland provides useful information about how to prepare for, react to and recover from flooding.
Maintain your drainage and watercourses - including culverted watercourses that may run underneath your land.
Maintain existing SuDS - (that have not been either adopted by the local authority or vested by Scottish Water) in line with the recommended maintenance schedule to ensure they are operating effectively in terms of flood risk management and water quality.
Consider opportunities for retrofit surface water management SuDS and green infrastructure - to slow down / reduce surface water discharge. Further guidance is available on the following websites:-
Raingardens in Built Developments leaflet, which provides an overview on the use of SuDS in a variety of settings.
Note - if you can remove all surface water discharge from your property (such as roofs, private car parks and private roads) to the public sewer, you may no longer have to pay the Property drainage charge element of your Drainage charge applied in relation to the ratable value of your property. You will still be liable for the Roads drainage element of the Drainage charge.
Ensure development proposals adequately consider surface water management / flooding - in line with national and local policy and guidance.
Encourage the use of SuDS / green infrastructure best practice and placemaking principles in development proposals - in line with the MGSDP Guiding Principles.
Ensure that new developments (of more than one dwelling) comply with the requirements of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 regarding the provision of SuDS - ideally in line with the CIRIA SuDS Manual (C753) best practice and the current version of Sewers for Scotland (where appropriate). Note - the MGSDP supports the strong presumption against discharging surface water to the combined sewer network, as noted in Cl 2.7 of Sewers for Scotland
Raingardens in Built Developments leaflet, which provides an overview on the use of SuDS in a variety of settings.
Ensure development proposals adequately consider surface water management / flooding - in line with national and local policy and guidance.
Encourage the use of SuDS / green infrastructure best practice and placemaking principles in development proposals - in line with the MGSDP Guiding Principles.
Ensure that new developments (of more than one dwelling) comply with the requirements of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 regarding the provision of SuDS - ideally in line with the CIRIA SuDS Manual (C753) best practice and the current version of Sewers for Scotland (where appropriate). Note - the MGSDP supports the strong presumption against discharging surface water to the combined sewer network, as noted in Cl 2.7 of Sewers for Scotland
Ensure that property owners are aware of SuDS in the development - prior to making their purchase.
Ensure that property owners are aware of their responsibilities to properly maintain SuDS - that have not been either adopted by the local authority or vested by Scottish Water. This may be 'in-curtilage' SuDS or communal SuDS that are to be maintained by a factoring organisation.
Raingardens in Built Developments leaflet, which provides an overview on the use of SuDS in a variety of settings.