A very important feature of road construction is drainage. New roads include designed drainage systems intended to remove water efficiently from the surface of the highway to provide a safe passage for all vehicles and pedestrians.

Older roads may have less sophisticated drainage, but all have features designed to take the water away from the road surface. It is necessary to clean and maintain these drainage provisions so that they can work properly.

Problems can occur even when drainage provisions are clean and well maintained. Flooded and waterlogged roads result when the amount of water arriving on the road is greater than the capacity of the drainage facilities that take it away. Exceptional rainfall, a road being in a low lying area, changes in 'run off' from adjacent fields and rivers overflowing are some situations that can lead to the road flooding or being waterlogged even when drains are in good working order. Material carried into the drains by floods can also lead to them becoming blocked. Drainage grills and gratings (e.g.. on gullies) can become blocked very quickly when materials like mud are deposited on the road or when there is a heavy fall of leaves. If a flooded road is caused by a ruptured water main the water company will be responsible for repairing the damage.

Water is directed to drains by the road profile. Puddles (ponding) tend to occur if there is a depression in the road. This can be rectified where necessary by local patching of the road surface.

The following notes give guidance on who to contact for various types of flooding:

The water company own and manage the network of public foul and surface water sewers. The majority of public sewers are located in highways and the Council has a copy of the sewer maps, which can be viewed at the Council Offices. To report an overflowing public sewer, you should call South West Water Customer Services on 0800 1691144

If your private drains or sewers are overflowing, you will need a drainage contractor to deal with any blockage. See "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 on site, then recharge you the cost of any work on the private sewers.

For flooding from the public highway or reporting blocked road gullies or gratings, contact Highways.

The local water supply company are South West Water . The water company are responsible for their supply up to and including the water stopcock.

This is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord and would need the attention of a plumber (see "Yellow Pages" or similar directories).

The main rivers are the responsibility of the Environment Agency , on 0845 933 3111. In addition, the Agency provide a "Floodline", which is a 24 hour advice and information service for floods and flood warning on 0845 988 1188.

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.

During storm conditions Torbay Council's manpower and material resources are fully occupied in dealing with issues associated with highway flooding, watercourse discharges or flows escaping from public sewers and resources do not permit specific responses to assist individuals. However, within these limitations, action would be taken to try and mitigate problems associated with property flooding.

Residents who are aware that their homes are at a high risk of flooding, e.g. as a result of the close proximity of a watercourse, are recommended to obtain sandbags from a builders' merchant to enable early preparation or it is possible for TOR2 to issue sandbags to the Public at the cost of £2.50 per bag provided that such sales are undertaken during normal office hours and not at a time when resources are stretched in responding to severe weather conditions. Such payment would need to be made in cash at the time of collection as there is not the facility for accepting other methods of payment.  Bags are available from:

TOR 2
Aspen Way
Paignton
TQ4 7QR

Telephone: 01803 550405