Flooding and Drainage
Flooding cannot always be prevented - sometimes a very large storm can cause flooding in rivers and drainage systems.
Flooding Emergencies
West Sussex County Council Highways
Tel: 01243-642105
Floodline Service
Tel: 0345-988-1188
Contacts
Calls to 0845 numbers attract a pence per minute charge on top of your phone company's access charge. Please contact the company concerned to find out their charges
Emergency Services
Tel: 999
Website: Fire Service Advice
Mid Sussex District Council
Office Hours - Tel: 01444-477408
Out of Office Hours - Tel: 0845-602-1035
Environment Agency
Floodline - Tel: 0345-988-1188
Website: Environment Agency
National Flood Forum
Tel: 01299-403-055
Website: NFF
DEFRA
Helpline - Tel: 08459-335-577
Website: DEFRA
West Sussex County Council
Tel: 01243-777100
Website: WSCC
Highways Authority Tel: 01243-642105
Highways Authority Website: Roads & Transport
Southern Water
Tel: 0845-278-0845
Website: Southern Water
Thames Water
Tel: 0800-714614
Website: Thames Water
Corporate Estates & Facilities Business Unit (Mid Sussex District Council)
Office hours - Tel: 01444-477577
Out of office hours - Tel: 0845-602-1035
Blockages
Southern Water
Tel: 0845-278-0845 - 24 hours
Email: customerservices@southernwater.co.uk
Thames Water
Tel: 0845-9200-800 - 24 hours
Flood warnings
Online: Sign up for flood warnings.
More information:
Flooding
Please take a look at the Environment Agency flood map.
Please take a look at the Government's flood risk pages.
- Check your insurance cover - confirm you are covered for flooding
- Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supplies
- Prepare a flood kit of essential items and documents. Always keep your flood kit handy
- Know who to contact and how - agree where you will go in the event of flooding and how to contact each other. Check with your Council if pets are allowed at evacuation centres. Keep a list with all your important contacts to hand
- Think about what you can move now - don't wait for a flood. Move items of personal value such as photo albums, family videos and treasured mementos to a safe place
- Think about what you would want to move to safety during a flood - outdoor pets, cars, furniture, electrical equipment, garden pot plants and furniture
- Gather essential items together either upstairs or in a high place
- Fill jugs and saucepans with clean water
- Move your family and pets upstairs or to a high place with a way of escape
- Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if safe to do so
- Do not touch sources of electricity when standing in floodwater
- Listen to local radio for updates or call Floodline - Tel: 0345-988-1188
- Floodwater can rise quickly. Stay calm and reassure those around you.
- Call 999 if you are in danger
Please note: Mid Sussex District Council is not responsible for supplying sandbags to the public.
In an emergency you can:
- Fill any plastic bags with any bulky material from the garden such as soil, sand or turf
- Place the bags to form a barrier across door steps, ventilation bricks and across any other point that water may get inside the property
You can buy sandbags from local builder merchants throughout the district.
More information: Sandbags and how to use them
Drainage
Responsibility
Public Highway: Highway Authority, West Sussex County Council
Public surface water sewers: Either Southern Water or Thames Water. If designated a highway drain: West Sussex County Council.
Drains: The responsibility for drains rests with the occupier and owner of the building served by the drain.
Sewers: Your local water company is responsible for all sewers - including those that were previously classed as 'private'.
To make an appointment to view drainage maps please contact:
Corporate Estates and Facilities team
Tel: 01444-477005
Email: drainage@midsussex.gov.uk
Watercourse changes
Any changes made to a watercourse, ditch, stream or culvert that will affect the watercourse requires Land Drainage Consent and requires prior permission.
Riparian owners
If you have watercourses next to or under your property you may be a riparian owner. For more information please visit the Riverside ownership: rights and responsibilities government web page.
Keep up to date
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