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District councils have a general responsibility to oversee
all matters related to drainage, and for many people they are the
first point of contact for anything to do with drainage and
flooding.
In many cases district councils will provide contact numbers for
other organisations such as the Environment Agency or regional
water companies.
The district council can also provide advice on a wide range of
issues, from the regulations affecting new developments to advice
on taking precautions in the event of flooding.
To find out how to contact your district council please visit
our
district councils information page.
The public sewerage system
Public sewers are maintained by the regional water company,
Southern
Water, (link opens in a new window) and people with queries
about sewerage systems should contact them directly.
Connections leading to public sewerage systems are normally the
responsibility of the property owners who will need to arrange for
maintenance of drains themselves if blockages occur.
District councils can provide copies of the water company's
public sewer maps.
Highway drainage
Highway drainage is the responsibility of Kent Highways. This is
a partnership between Kent County Council and district
councils.
The district council highway unit will deal with reports of
blocked or damaged road gullies.
For more information please see our
highway drainage information page.
Main rivers
For queries related to main rivers and their maintenance, the
Environment Agency is the main contact for help and advice.
To contact them please visit the
Environment Agency website (link opens in a new
window).
Ordinary watercourses
The maintenance of ordinary watercourses or 'ditches' is the
responsibility of the 'riparian' owners. These are the owners of
the land through (or adjacent to) which a watercourse flows.
Anyone who blocks a watercourse, fills it in, or fails to keep
it clear is probably violating the
Land Drainage Act (link opens in a new
window).
Most district councils carry out regular inspections of ordinary
watercourses, particularly at locations where flooding is a threat
to property.
The district council should be informed of any watercourse
blockage, particularly if it's likely to cause flooding. The
district councils have legal powers for situations where a riparian
owner refuses to clear his or her watercourse.
Proposals to alter watercourses should always be referred to the
district council for approval.
Coastal defence and flooding
Maritime local authorities (those with a coastline) have
responsibilities relating to the management of coastal erosion,
flood risk and the coastal defences that protect land and property
from both the sea and coastal erosion.
They carry out routine maintenance, obtain new or upgraded sea
defences and help develop coastal defence strategy plans.
For more information on coastal defences please see our
coastal defences information page.
Monitoring and preparation
These authorities also monitor local sea conditions when tidal
surge warnings are issued by the Environment Agency and advise the
public of any precautions that should be taken.
Most authorities in which there are properties in the sea
floodplain have a sea flood duty engineer service which monitors
flood risk 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
This service puts in place any necessary measures to prevent
flooding, from the closure of sea front floodgates to providing
sandbags and helping police.
Property advice
District authority engineers may also provide advice to property
developers and house purchasers regarding the risks of coastal
flooding and erosion.
Maritime local authorities also ensure that any new development
within the coastal floodplain complies with the latest planning
guidance.
Where there are cliffs, maritime local authorities provide
advice regarding cliff-top development and ensure that any planning
restrictions are complied with. |