External Flooding with sewer water

Step 1: Report a Flood

Call us on our 24-hour emergency number 0330 303 0368.

Or speak to us on live chat 

Please let us know if any nearby properties are also affected so we can help them too. We’ll send a engineer out as soon as possible, during severe weather we may take a little longer to get to customers and may have to attend internal or more severe flooding incidents first.

 

Step 2: What should I do now?

• Keep children and pets away from the flooded areas.
• Contact your insurance provider to report the damage and make a claim (keep receipts of emergency expenses). Any claims for loss or damage must be directed to your insurance provider.
• If it's safe to do so, take photos of the flooded area – these could support your insurance claim and help us to determine why the flooding has happened and whether you’re entitled to a payment under our Guaranteed Standards of Service.
• If you live in a rented property, you should contact your landlord and let them know.

 

Step 3: Fixing the problem

• We will try to be with you as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the incident being reported. Every flooding incident is different, and we want to ensure we prioritise the most severe and distressing incidents first.
• If you provide a mobile number, we will contact you to let you know we are on our way.
• When we arrive, we’ll quickly work to find the cause. This will involve checking nearby sewers. Our first responders will do all they can to stop the flooding and prevent the flood water from entering the property.

 

Step 4: Clean up

• We’ll offer to clean-up the affected area, regardless of whether you have home insurance or not. We’ll just advise you to call your insurers to check they’re happy for us to undertake the work.
• If there is daylight, we’ll start to clean up the area straight away. If it is dark, we may need to come back the following day when it is safe / possible to undertake the clean-up effectively.
• We will aim to undertake the clean-up as quickly as possible and look to complete it within 48hours of us first being informed of the flooding incident. This will all be done free of charge.
• We will clean affected areas of sewage debris as much as we can and we’ll disinfect hard surfaces such as paths, patios, and driveways.
• We won’t disinfect lawns and borders as this can kill plants. Most contaminants are on or near the surface and will be exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation which is the most effective way to kill bacteria.
• As most contaminants will be on or near the surface, they’ll be exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which are very effective at killing bacteria. Independent laboratory tests show bacteria should soon reduce to normal levels, in the following conditions:
  • During warm, dry summer weather – after nine days
  • During damper, cooler spring/autumn conditions – after 20 days
  • During cold, wet weather – after 25 days.

After the clean-up, and when it’s safe to do so, make sure you throw away any affected fruit and vegetables growing in your garden.

 

Guaranteed standards of service payment

If you've experienced external flooding caused by a failure of our systems, you may claim an amount equivalent to half your annual sewerage charges, from a minimum of £75 to a maximum of £500.

To claim, you’ll need to apply within three months of the incident. The first step is to fill in our External Flooding claim form or get in touch. 

These payments are not compensation or an admission of liability.

What will happen following your claim:

1. We’ll write to you within 20 working days of the incident. The letter will include the following information:
• more about the payment
• what steps we have to take as a direct result of the incident
• any investigations we need to carry out.

1. We’ll send you a cheque or credit your account within 20 working days of the flooding incident. 
2. If we’re late with the payment, you’ll get an extra £20 as a credit to your account.

We may not make these payments if any of the following situations apply:

• The flooding was caused by your actions
• The flooding was caused by exceptional rainfall
• Our investigation confirms that the flooding was caused by a third-party issue, such as surface water running off land, a flooded river, a problem with a private or highway drain.

Conditions may apply. Follow the link for a list of all exceptions and further information:

Guaranteed Standards of Service