Flooding (drainage and gullies)

Flooded or waterlogged roads result when the amount of water on the road is greater than the capacity of the drainage facilities to take it away.

Exceptional rainfall, a road being in a low lying area or changes in 'run off' from adjacent land are some of the situations that can lead to the road flooding even though the drainage system is in good working order.

In general drainage systems should work without any routine maintenance, although we do normally empty gullies once a year to remove silt.

Drainage gullies and drains can become blocked very quickly when materials like mud or stones are carried onto the road during heavy rain or flooding. The same situation can apply when there is a heavy fall of leaves.

For flooding on, or from public roads, or to report blocked gullies or gratings please contact:

• Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058
• email: call.centre@derbyshire.gov.uk
• fill in our online fault reporting form

Land drainage
We are responsible for maintaining and repairing drainage and culverts on land we own.

We may take action against land owners where problems are caused on the road because of damaged drainage on their land.

If you notice flooding or can see that flooding is imminent on a road please Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058.

The district or bourough council may also serve notice on riparian landowners to remove blockages to watercourses on their land. A riparian owner is someone who owns land which a watercourse or river passes through. This is defined in the Land Drainage Act 1991 - you can find a link to the full act in the Related Links section.

You can find out more about riparian landowner responsibilities in our flood prevention section.
We wouldn't usually get involved in cases where flooding is caused on private property due to run-off from another private property. This is a civil matter between the two landowners.

Additional contact details:
Who to report other types of flooding to:

• Flooding from public sewers
  The water company own and manage the network of public foul and surface water sewers. 
  To report an overflowing public sewer in Derbyshire, you should  call Severn Trent Water on 0800 7834444.

• Flooding from private sewers or drains
  If your private drains or sewers are overflowing, you will need a drainage contractor to deal with any blockage. 
  See the Yellow Pages under 'Drain and Pipe Cleaning'. 
  If you are uncertain if any blockage is in the public or private sewers, the water company should be able to determine this once they are on-site, then recharge you the cost of any work if it is a private sewer.

• Flooding from a burst water main
  Your local water company is responsible for the supply of water mains up to and including the water stopcock. 
  In the event of a burst water main, please contact your local water supply company; their number will be in your telephone directory, on your water bill, or can be found on the internet.

• Flooding from a water service pipe or internal pipework
  This is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord and would need the attention of a plumber - see the Yellow Pages or similar directories.

• Flooding from a main river
  The main rivers are the responsibility of the Environment Agency, on 0845 933 3111. 
  In addition, they provide 'Floodline', a 24-hour advice and information service for floods and flood warning on 0845 988 1188.
  We have list of the Derbyshire rivers and watercourses most likely to flood.

• Flooding from watercourses, other than main rivers
  Watercourses, other than main rivers, are the responsibility of riparian owners.
  You are a riparian owner if your property or land is on, or very near, a watercourse.
  Riparian owners have a duty to keep the watercourse clear of any obstruction to flow and the council can serve legal notices on riparian owners to deal with obstructions. 
  Certain 'strategic' watercourses, that are known to pose a high risk of property flooding if they become blocked, are checked and maintained by the council's contractor on a regular basis.

You may also like to find out more about how we deal with flooding, protecting your home, using sandbags and what to do after a flood.