Flood Products. Using Flood Protection Products - A guide for homeowners

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1 This guide forms part of a research programme on reducing the impact of flooding supported by the following: The Association of British Insurers (ABI) The British Damage Management Association (BDMA) Building Research Establishment (BRE) BSI CIRIA Council of Mortgage Lenders Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Department of Trade and Industry (DTi) Environment Agency Flood Protection Association (FPA) The House Builders Federation (HBF) HR Wallingford Local Government Association (LGA) National Flood Forum (NFF) National House-Building Council (NHBC) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) Rivers Agency Northern Ireland Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Scottish Executive Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Water UK Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Flood Products Using Flood Protection Products - A guide for homeowners Thanks to the following organisations for contributing to the work covered by this guide: Birmingham City Council Hydroscience Mott MacDonald Norwich Union Richfords Fire and Flood Severn Trent Water Thames Water Worcester City Council WS Atkins 0503/BHFC

2 About this guide Contents In recent years we have seen more flooding in England and Wales, which has focussed attention on the need to provide better flood protection for people and property. If you are concerned about the risk of flooding to your home, Flood Products can help you to assess that risk and to understand the different routes through which floodwater may enter. It explains what protection you can expect from flood protection products and other measures you can take to reduce floodwater entering your property. This is the third in a series of practical advice guides produced by CIRIA and the Environment Agency. It is part of a joint Government and Industry research and development programme working towards reducing the impact of flooding. Flood Products and its companion titles Damage Limitation and After a Flood are all available free of charge from the Agency s 24-hour Floodline or visit Flood Products has been produced for homeowners with DIY or other technical experience. The information may also be useful for owners of small business properties. To accompany Flood Products, CIRIA has produced a series of advice sheets with more technical information on improving the flood resistance of buildings. These advice sheets and other up to date information on reducing the impacts of flooding can be downloaded from CIRIA s website They will help you work out the most appropriate approach to improving the flood resilience of your home if you are skilled and confident with DIY. If you are not able to do the work yourself the advice sheets may be useful to you when working with builders, surveyors and other specialist contractors. 1 Types of flood protection 2 2 The BSI Kitemark for flood protection products 3 3 Assessing how to reduce the risk of flooding to your home 4 4 Sources of flooding 5 5 How floodwater can enter your home 6 6 How temporary barriers and removable flood products can help 8 7 Other measures to consider when using flood products 14 8 Removing floodwater and drying out your home 16 9 Getting specialist advice The Environment Agency and CIRIA 20 Important The measures you can take to reduce floodwater entering your home explained in this guide are intended for use with existing properties at risk from flooding. The Environment Agency actively discourages new development in floodplains or other areas of flood risk. This guide is not intended to encourage development in areas of flood risk, which is covered by separate planning guidance. The information in this guide was produced as a result of two DTi Partners in Innovation projects; Standards for the Repair of Buildings Following Flooding project number F-01-CIR48 and Evaluation of the Performance of Products and Materials to Resist Flooding of Buildings project number O-HRW0023. This guide constitutes the Environment Agency R & D publication W5-071/HQP.

3 1 Types of flood protection The BSI Kitemark for flood protection products 2 In recent years alternative approaches to reducing flood risk have emerged: Permanent flood defences, such as flood embankments, are normally the preferred means of providing flood protection. There are, however, many places where permanent structures are not viable or appropriate on cost, environmental or other grounds. This has led to growing interest in the use of temporary free-standing barriers which hold back floodwater locally from a detached house or group of properties. A third solution is the use of removable household products, like flood boards and air brick covers, which are fitted temporarily to individual properties to form a barrier to stop water coming in. To use removable household products to their best effect, you should consider how the fabric of your house - walls, services, floors etc. - will respond to the pressure of the floodwater above ground level and seepage below ground level. Other flood protection measures, such as making walls more water-resistant and repairing and sealing cracks, may also need to be taken to reduce the pathways through which water can seep into your home during a flood. However, even if you do nothing more than fit flood boards to your home, these can provide better protection than sandbags. As different approaches to flood protection have emerged, so have a number of flood protection products. Until recently there has been very little information to help people choose and use the range of products now on the market. To meet this need, a new BSI Kitemark standard has been established for flood protection products including flood boards and free-standing barriers. You can be sure that products with the Kitemark, a widely recognised symbol of quality for consumer goods, have been rigorously tested to ensure they are fit for purpose if installed and used properly. The Association of British Insurers (ABI), which represents 97 per cent of the insurance business in the UK, is one of a number of organisations supporting the new Kitemark scheme. Insurance companies are now offering flood cover based on the actual risks of flooding. In high risk areas where permanent defences may not be viable they will want to know what other local flood protection measures can be taken. Insurers will take account of effective action people have taken to protect their home or business, including the use of Kitemarked flood products where these reduce the flood risk affecting those properties. More information to help you make an informed choice about choosing flood protection products and the organisations supporting the Kitemark scheme can be found at the back of this guide. Traditionally flood barriers have been formed using sandbags Important: 2 Look out for the Kitemark on flood protection products. PAS & PAS

4 3 Assessing how to reduce the risk of flooding to your home Sources of flooding 4 You may need to seek professional advice to help you fully assess how best to reduce the risk of flooding to your home. See section Getting specialist advice. However three things need to be considered before buying any flood protection products: 1. The risk of flooding to your home: Is there a history of flooding in your area which may affect your property? Are there potential sources of flooding? See next section Sources of flooding. Does the Environment Agency provide a flood warning service in your area? Is there a concern about the risk of flooding in your local community? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your home may be at risk from flooding and you may need help to assess how often flooding might occur from a particular source and how long the floodwater might be there. 2. The impact of flooding on your home: How would water get into your home e.g. through doors, walls, drains, or groundwater seepage below the foundations and under the floor? See section How floodwater can enter your home. What damage to the building, contents and fittings would this cause? What would be the cost of repair and how much disruption would it bring to the household? 3. The surrounding area and the construction of your home: You need to consider the land surrounding your home: What is the surrounding land e.g. gardens, pavements? Are there any slopes, high ground or other features that might help in directing or holding back the floodwater? How permeable is the ground and subsoil? Can water soak through it and groundwater rise in it easily? Could you imagine where a temporary free-standing barrier might be placed to hold back the floodwater from your home, and possibly the adjacent property? Next you should consider the house itself: How is your property constructed? Are the walls brick, block or stone? Are they solid or is there a cavity? How might water seep through them? How deep are the foundations? Is the ground floor concrete or timber? What is below the floor? Is there a gap between the floor and the ground under the house? How might water seep up from below the floor? Where are all the low-level services, drains and inspection chambers? Once the above has been assessed, you can start to consider the use of flood protection products and other measures that can be taken to reduce the damage flooding can cause to your home. You should also consider: How much will the different options cost, particularly any measures to make the building fabric more water-resistant? How effective will these measures be? Will they keep water out and for how long? What is the best option to reduce the cost of damage and repairs? For further advice on assessing the risk of flooding to a property call the Environment Agency s 24-hour Floodline on to request a copy of the technical manual Preparing for Floods or visit Flooding can come from a number of sources. Most people are aware of the risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, but flooding can also result from rising groundwater, surface water running off from higher ground and from drains backing up. See below for detail. Near a watercourse Near the coast Next to a watercourse (river, stream, ditch or open drain) River Near the coast with overtopping of defences due to waves and/or high water level Sea Backflow through an overloaded piped drainage or sewer system that has become restricted by flooding close by To find out if your house is at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea you can look at the Environment Agency s indicative floodplain maps on or call Floodline Surface water runoff from hills Depression in the ground Surface water runoff from higher ground close by In a hollow or any local low point that floodwater can run into and be held back In an area of rising groundwater Backflow through drainage system Rising groundwater 4 5

5 5 How floodwater can enter your home Floodwater can enter your home by a number of routes (or pathways as they are referred to in technical literature). Some of the more common ones are shown below. Possible routes of entry for floodwater into a property Entry through gaps around pipes and cables that pass through walls and floors Entry through party walls from property next door if it is flooded Entry through cracks in brickwork Floodwater can enter an unprotected property: Through gaps and cracks around closed doors and windows, particularly in the joints between the frames and walls. Through gaps around services which enter the property e.g. pipes for gas, water and sewage, electricity, telephone and television cables, and vents for central heating systems, washing machines and tumble dryers. Directly through the walls of the property. Some bricks, blocks, stones and mortar used in buildings are porous and floodwater will seep through them due to their natural permeability (which can be quite high). Floodwater can also penetrate walls through cracks in the wall, particularly where the mortar has deteriorated or been lost and needs repointing, and also through airbricks, flues and vents built into the wall. Through party walls shared with the property next door, in the case of semidetached or terraced houses. Below the ground, the groundwater levels and seepage flow will be affected by the floodwater. If the subsoil is relatively impermeable (e.g. clay), these effects will be much less of a risk than with permeable subsoil (e.g. sandy soils). Groundwater can enter an unprotected property through: Seepage through solid ground floors where a water-resisting membrane is not present, or there is a poor seal between the floor and the walls. Seepage underground into the void below suspended ground floors, unprotected basements and cellars through the walls or floor. Seepage at cracks or gaps in the belowground building structure e.g. foundations, basement walls and floors. Note that basements may have been tanked and walls and floors may have been treated to control dampness. Backflow through a blocked or overloaded drainage or sewer system. Backflow through overloaded drainage/ sewer system blocked by flooding Entry at air bricks Entry at gaps and cracks in joint sealant around doors and windows Entry at the damp-proof course Entry through permeable brickwork and weathered or damaged mortar Seepage through the ground entering through the floors of basements and cellars 6 7

6 6 How temporary barriers and removable flood products can help The use of flood protection products is best considered within the context of permanent flood protection in three distinct steps: Where a property is at risk, the preferred solution is for protection by permanent river or coastal flood defences. Most houses are not designed to be dams! As a general rule, the maximum height for any flood protection product fitted directly to a building should be no greater than one metre above the ground surrounding the building - about window sill height - unless further structural work is undertaken. Keeping floodwater out of a property with a depth greater than one metre can result in long-term structural damage to the walls and floors and could undermine the foundations. With weak structures or foundations, structural damage could occur at lesser floodwater depths. When permanent defences are not available, temporary free-standing barriers that typically hold floodwater back from a group of houses or an individual detached house are the next best option. Traditionally these have been formed from piles of sandbags, however a variety of portable dams and barriers are now available. Acceptable protection height (up to one metre) Unacceptable protection height (above one metre) Where permanent or temporary barriers protecting a group of houses are not viable, removable household flood products fitted to an individual property to help stop water coming through walls, doors, windows, air bricks and vent covers are the third choice. These will generally need to be used with other measures to improve the flood resistance of the building. Maximum height of protection 1m Height of protection greater than 1m A solid garden wall (whilst not temporary) can be designed and built to be part of a local flood protection system. However, do note that you will need to install temporary barriers across gates or driveways and you may need a consent or planning permission from the relevant authority. Remember: Flood protection products are unlikely to make your home fully waterproof, but they will give you vital time to move light furniture, valuables and perishable items out of reach of floodwater and to evacuate the property safely if necessary. Important: The rights of private individuals, property owners or community groups to install temporary or permanent flood protection barriers to protect land and property from flooding is governed principally by common law. The requirements of planning law and human rights law and the need for any statutory consents must also be taken into consideration. The Environment Agency has powers to regulate structures designed to divert floodwater. Before making any decision in relation to the use of a temporary free-standing barrier, the person or body taking the action should check with the local Environment Agency office and local authority that they have obtained all necessary statutory consents to erect the protection at the chosen location. In particular, they should ensure that the protection of their property does not significantly increase the risk of flooding to other properties. 8 9

7 Temporary free-standing barriers: These are removable flood protection systems installed at some distance from a detached house or group of properties to hold back, or in some cases to deflect the floodwater from reaching the property. The barrier must be installed, sealed or joined (including any end connections) in accordance with the supplier s instructions. Installation should be on firm ground and generally along a pre-planned line so that the barrier is stable under the flood load. Attention must be given to potential groundwater seepage and to sealing any drains or ducts under the ground through which floodwater could pass. Temporary free-standing barrier at the perimeter of a group of properties Key issues to consider when selecting a particular system are ease of installation and the durability of the materials from which it is made. Each different product has some unique way of forming the watertight barrier, generally with some form of fabric or sheet. Some are rigid, some flexible. Some use a separate frame to support the barrier. Some are formed by a water or air-filled tube. A comprehensive guide on temporary and demountable defences is available on the Environment Agency s website Temporary free-standing barriers can: Prevent floodwater from reaching the property by holding it back at some distance. Be used to protect a detached property or group of properties. Reduce the seepage of groundwater into the lower foundations and ground floor level of the property. A pump and where appropriate a sump (a purpose-made low point into which water can drain, from where it can be pumped to prevent floodwater rising above ground level) should be installed between the temporary barrier and the property. It will also remove any leakage through the temporary barrier. See section Other measures to consider when using flood products. Temporary free-standing barriers cannot: Prevent seepage of groundwater through the subsoil below or around the sump to the foundations of the building, cellar or basement or to the ground floor level of the property, even when a pump is installed. Prevent flooding resulting from backflow through an overloaded drainage or sewage system. Temporary protection measure Floodwater collected at low point to be returned beyond temporary barriers Pump to collect water that seeps around temporary barrier 10 11

8 Removable household flood products These are designed to seal potential flood routes into the property i.e. doors, windows, air bricks, sewers and drainage pipes. Most are designed to be fitted in a matter of minutes. Installation and use must be in accordance with the supplier s instructions. Barriers to external doors usually take the form of a plastic or metal flood board that can be quickly installed across a doorway in advance of the floodwater arriving. Flood boards normally slide into a frame attached around the door frame or doorway to provide a watertight seal. Barriers for windows and patio doors are similar to those for external doors. Flood boards, or beams for wider openings are normally installed into a frame attached around the opening. Air brick covers are fixed over air bricks and other vents in external walls. They are usually made of plastic and clipped into fixings or a fixed frame around the air brick or vent opening. Flood skirts are designed to wrap around a property thus preventing floodwater from seeping through the building fabric as well as through openings. Protection against flooding caused by backflow from drains can be prevented by fitting non-return valves and bungs to drainage systems. See section Other measures to consider when using flood products. Bath, sink and shower outlets should be sealed to stop water entering through plug holes, and the toilet bowl should be sealed. To be effective, any removable flood products must be installed prior to the onset of flooding and completely removed (other than any fixings) after the event to ensure proper ventilation. You or your community should always have a well rehearsed Flood Plan for their installation, use, removal and storage. Removable household flood products can: Offer much better protection and are easier to use than sandbags. Stop floodwater getting through openings and gaps at doors and windows, air brick and vent covers, for a time. Remember, there are many vulnerable points in and around a building which can let floodwater and seepage in where you must consider additional measures. Together with the use of sealants and fillers, make the external wall more water resistant. These measures include applying waterproof sealant to the outside face, injecting fillers, closing cavities and filling cracks and voids in brickwork. Prevent floodwater backing up into the building through drainage pipes, by fitting a one way gate or stop valves on sewer and other drain systems. Removable household products Flood boards at doors, patio doors and low level windows Air brick and vent covers A property wrapping system may offer some protection from underground seepage if it is installed so that it incorporates protection down to foundation level. It is recommended that a sump and pump still forms part of the overall system. Removable household flood products cannot: Prevent seepage of groundwater to the foundations of the property, to a cellar or basement or into the ground level floor of the property. Prevent penetration of floodwater through a party wall from an adjacent property if it is flooded. Property wrapping systems installed to a maximum height of 1m above ground level Remember! We strongly advise you to continue to move valuables and furniture to a safe height. Water may still enter the property even when flood products are fitted. Temporary flood barriers and household products must be installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions

9 7 Other measures to consider when using flood products As well as custom-built temporary barriers and flood products, there are a number of other measures you can take to improve the overall flood resistance of your home. As shown in the illustration below these range from sealing cracks and joints to improving the flood Other flood protection measures Install wall treatments (eg. using the appropriate coatings, render, penetrating surface sealants) to a maximum height of 1m above surrounding ground level Install flood resilient floor e.g. solid floor with membrane Seal gaps around pipes and cables that enter the property Install sump and pump system below ground floor resistance of floors, doors and windows. In adopting any of these measures, you will need to consider their cost against their potential contribution to reducing the impact of flooding. See section Assessing how to reduce the risk of flooding to your home. Seal joints between the walls and the frames of doors and low-level windows Repoint joints and cracks in brickwork Fit non-return valves or bungs in drainage system and secure manhole covers Use of a pump to control seepage around barriers or into the building: There is always a chance that some water will seep around or under the foundation of a temporary free-standing barrier or through unexpected pathways into the building, particularly through groundwater seepage. It is recommended that an appropriately-sized pump is always available, sited at a low point, to remove any such seepage. The installation of a sump and pump system beneath ground level or basement floors to control and remove water entering the property is illustrated opposite. The pump must be able to return the water that enters the property to a location behind whatever temporary barriers have been installed. Safety is a key issue when using pumps powered by mains electricity during a flood and alternative power sources should be considered, it may be unsafe to use mains electricity or there may be a power cut. It is therefore essential that the pump in such a system should be capable of continuing to operate even if mains power supplies are interrupted. This could be done by installing a battery-operated system that can be recharged by solar power or by using pumps powered by a portable generator or petrol/diesel engine (remembering to provide adequate ventilation and to safely store). The benefit of controlling floodwater that enters a property is that it is removed, as far as possible, before it can cause significant damage to fixtures and fittings or possessions that cannot be moved. Futher advice: CIRIA has produced a series of advice sheets on how to improve the overall flood resistance of your home. They are designed to help you carry out work yourself if you are skilled at DIY or a builder, and may be useful to you when working with builders and surveyors, if you are not able to do the work yourself. Advice sheet 1: Identifying flood risk How to identify if a property is at risk of flooding and the potential effects that it may have. Advice sheet 2: How does floodwater enter a house - above ground? Explains how floodwater can get into a house through walls and around doors and windows. Advice sheet 3: How can floodwater enter a house - below ground? Explains how floodwater can get into a house through floors and foundations. Advice sheet 4: Flood-resilient walls Explains different types of walls, and provides guidance on how to reduce the flow of floodwater through them by sealing cracks, joints and brickwork and applying suitable treatments. Advice sheet 5: Flood-resilient windows and doors Provides guidance on inspecting the joints between doors (including patio doors) and windows and reducing the flow of floodwater through them. Advice sheet 6: Flood-resilient floors Provides guidance on identifying different types of floors and reducing the flow of floodwater through them, as well as removing floodwater from a property through the use of a pump and sump. Advice sheet 7: Flood-resilient services Provides guidance on reducing the flow of floodwater through gaps in walls around services such as water and gas pipes; electricity, telephone and television cables; as well as heating, cooking and tumble dryer vent systems. Advice sheet 8: Flood-resilient sewers and drains Provides guidance on reducing flooding from sewers and drains, for example by using non-return valves, plugs, bungs and fixing drain covers

10 8 Removing floodwater and drying out your home Getting specialist advice 9 Even if you use flood protection products it may not always be possible to keep floodwater out of your home. Drying out and restoring a property and its contents is a specialist task. It must be carried out to a minimum specification to avoid potential health risks and defects in the affected building, such as problems arising from dampness, particularly within the walls and floors. The action required to avoid this is normally outside the scope of a general builder. The British Damage Management Association (BDMA) or other specialists can advise on this area. After a Flood - How to restore your home is a useful guide that is available free of charge from Floodline or can be downloaded from Further information on restoring your property following flooding can be found on CIRIA s website A number of individuals and organisations can provide specialist advice or undertake practical work to make your property more resistant to flooding. Some of these are listed below, together with services that they provide. Organisation Building companies and builders Services Good local building companies or builders can undertake general work to improve the water-resistance of a property. This could include pointing of brickwork, sealing joints around door and window frames, fitting flood protection products, etc. You should, where possible, obtain recommendations or references on the quality of work produced by the company/builder you are considering using. It is also advisable to get at least three quotes for the work that you want to carry out. The installation of tanking (render or sheet material intended to prevent water entry, usually into basements) is a specialist task, which should not be attempted by a general builder. Advice and specification from a surveyor/engineer is likely to be necessary to ensure appropriate products are used. Tanking material manufacturers, in many cases, have lists of approved companies who have received training in the installation of their particular products. Building surveyor/ structural engineer Local building surveyors and structural engineers can undertake surveys of a property to assess its current condition. These will identify whether the property requires adaptation to strengthen it to resist the loads (pressure of water) likely to be imposed upon it during a flood or whether other remedial works to the walls and floors etc., are necessary to minimise water entry through them. They can also prepare formal specifications and a contract for the work to be carried out by a competent building company and supervise the works whilst they are being undertaken. Employing specialist advisors in this way is likely to be expensive; it is likely to be required where the risk and cost of flooding are considered to be high, or significant other measures are required on the building fabric. See section Assessing how to reduce the risk of flooding to your home. You may find the CIRIA advice sheets useful in working with builders, especially when specifying work. Visit There are a few organisations that undertake specialist flood risk surveys which can be undertaken to identify the likely points of entry and pathways that floodwater will take within a property and identify the works required to minimise water entry. The BDMA and Flood Protection Association may be able to help you identify these specialists

11 Organisation Building surveyor/ structural engineer contd. BSI Product Services CIRIA English Heritage Environment Agency Services Improving the water-resistance of a basement or cellar in a property and dealing with permeable soils are specialist tasks; obtaining the advice of a surveyor or engineer skilled in such work is essential. Not all local, surveying or engineering companies will have the necessary experience or understanding. Founded in 1901 the BSI Group is an international provider of services to businesses and other organisations. Through provision of standards and technical information, systems assessment, product testing and commodity inspection services, BSI supplies vital thirdparty services that enable its customers to trade effectively and to improve their operations and products. BSI Product Services provides product-testing facilities and awards Kitemark registration and CE marking. The Kitemark was first registered as the British Standards mark in Visit or contact them on The CIRIA website provides useful guidance on preparing for and dealing with the after effects of flooding. You can also download advice sheets from the CIRIA website. These provide additional information on improving the flood resistance of your property. They are also designed to provide competent DIY enthusiasts, builders and contractors with technical information. Even if you are not able to carry out the work on your house, the advice sheets may be of use to you in working with tradespeople. English Heritage can advise on the repair and protection of listed buildings. Visit or contact them on Provides a 24-hour Floodline service on which offers information and advice on all flooding matters including details of flood products that have been awarded the BSI Kitemark. Floodline also provides details of flood warnings in force across England and Wales. You can also visit Floodline in Scotland is provided by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Organisation Highways Agency Institution of Structural Engineers Local authorities Local Authorities Building Control Officers National Flood Forum (NFF) Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) The Association of British Insurers (ABI) The British Damage Management Association (BDMA) Water companies, drainage and sewerage undertakers Services The Highways Agency may be able to provide information on the drainage of major trunk roads. Visit or contact them on The Institution of Structural Engineers can advise of suitable companies to approach for structural surveys. Can often advise on local flood risk. Building control departments can advise on standards and regulations for reconstruction after flooding. County Councils will be able to provide information on the drainage of roads other than major trunk roads (see Highways Agency). Visit the Local Government Association website or contact them on Building control officers can provide advice and guidance on ensuring that any works planned to be carried out will comply with the Building Regulations. Visit the Local Government Association website or contact them on Can offer support to those affected by flooding including general information about all types of flood products, possible sources of help and strategies for coping. Visit the NFF website or contact them on The RICS can advise on suitable property surveyors. Can advise on what to do if you have been flooded and provide information on insurance company helplines. However your first point of contact should be your broker or claims contact listed in your insurance policy. Visit or contact them on Can provide information on suitable companies to approach for assistance in the repair or renovation of your property. Your local water company (sewerage undertaker) may be able to provide information on drains and drainage in your area. Flood Protection The UK trade body representing manufacturers of flood Association protection products. (FPA) Visit or contact them on

12 10 The Environment Agency and CIRIA Contacts For 40 years CIRIA has managed collaborative research and produced information aimed at providing best practice solutions to industry problems. CIRIA stimulates the exchange of experience across industry and its clients. It has a reputation for practical, high quality information. Through networking and the dissemination of publications and newsletters, CIRIA seeks to improve the performance of all concerned with construction and the environment. CIRIA 6 Storey s gate Westminster, London SW1E 6DR Tel: Fax: flooding@ciria.org CIRIA s work on flooding is available on The Environment Agency builds and maintains the majority of permanent flood defences in low lying areas of England and Wales, to reduce the risk to homes and businesses. We are also responsible for warning the public about flooding from rivers and the sea in England and Wales and raising awareness of flood risk. Other responsibilities include pollution prevention, water resource management and waste regulation. More copies of this guide, its companion booklets Damage Limitation - how to make your home flood resistant and After a flood - how to restore your home, and a technical manual Preparing for floods are available free from Floodline. They can also be downloaded from our website Environment Agency Swift House Frimley Business Park Frimley, Surrey, GU16 7SQ Floodline ENVIRONMENT AGENCY HEAD OFFICE Rio House, Waterside Drive, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4UD Tel: Fax: Environment Agency Regional Offices ANGLIAN Kingfisher House Goldhay Way Orton Goldhay Peterborough PE2 5ZR Tel: Fax: MIDLANDS Sapphire East 550 Streetsbrook Road Solihull B91 1QT Tel: Fax: NORTH EAST Rivers House 21 Park Square South Leeds LS1 2QG Tel: Fax: NORTH WEST PO Box 12 Richard Fairclough House Knutsford Road Warrington WA4 1HG Tel: Fax: SOUTHERN Guildbourne House Chatsworth Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 1LD Tel: Fax: SOUTH WEST Manley House Kestrel Way Exeter EX2 7LQ Tel: Fax: THAMES Kings Meadow House Kings Meadow Road Reading RG1 8DQ Tel: Fax: WALES Cambria House 29 Newport Road Cardiff CF24 0TP Tel: Fax: Exeter WALES Cardiff SOUTH WEST NORTH WEST Warrington Solihull NORTH EAST Leeds MIDLANDS Bristol THAMES Peterborough ANGLIAN London Reading SOUTHERN Worthing 20 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY GENERAL ENQUIRY LINE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY F L O O D L I N E ENVIRONMENT AGENCY EMERGENCY HOTLINE Published May Printed on Revive