Most flooding calls were not needed

Chris Giles, waste water manager for Severn Trent said: “Either the flooding had disappeared by the time we get to the site, or it was caused by something that Severn Trent Water doesn’t own or control, such as streams overflowing, or drains in the road being blocked, both of which need to be dealt with by the Environment Agency or the local council.”

In light of this, Severn Trent are offering the following advice.

“If you have flooding at your home, check to see if it’s just rainwater or if it’s sewage that has come from an overflowing sewer. If it’s just rainwater, the flooding should subside when it stops raining, although it can take up to four hours for water to drain away. Where sewage is escaping this is obviously a priority for us, so please call us on 0800 783 4444 and we’ll get a team out to help as quickly as possible,” said Chris.

“If you’re concerned about flooding from drains and gullies in the road, you should call the local council as they are responsible for road drainage. If the flooding is coming from a river or stream, get in touch with the Environment Agency, as they have responsibility here,” he added.