Watchdog advises on flash floods

Fears of flash flooding from heavy rain increases

A water industry watchdog has warned that heavy rain affecting parts of the East may increase localised flooding.

Some sewers could overflow because they are blocked or too small to deal with the volumes of expected rain.

The Consumer Council for Water East is now offering advice on dealing with flash floods and the water firms.

Chair Catherine Harvey said: "One of our biggest concerns is that customers are kept informed about what is being done to help them and when."

The watchdog monitors water companies in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk.

Increased investment

Ms Harvey said: "We have every sympathy with any customers who are unfortunate enough to experience sewer flooding, even more so when this is a repeat incident.

"We have published a leaflet which explains the standard of care we believe every affected customer should receive.

"It is designed to help residents when talking to Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Essex and Suffolk Water and Tendring Hundred Water, to ensure they receive what we think the water firms should deliver."

The Consumer Council for Water East regularly raises the issue of sewer flooding at its meetings in public with the water companies who are asked to describe the progress in this area.

The water companies said investment to tackle sewer flooding has increased over the last two years and this has lead to a fall in the number of incidents.

However, incidents continue to affect a few thousand consumers per year.