Organisations responsible for flood risk management

There are a number of organisations responsible for flood prevention. If you are a property owner, you also have responsibility for flood risk management.

Environment Agency

• oversees the management of all sources of flooding

• manages the risk of flooding from main rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea

• powers to designate existing structures and features as flood risk management assets, meaning cannot be altered, removed, or replaced without the consent of the designating authority. 

For advice on what to do during a flood contact Floodline on 0345 988 1188

Thames Water

• manages flood risks arising from water and foul or combined sewer systems where the flooding is a result of rainwater affecting the sewer system

• provides and maintains public sewers so that the areas it is responsible for are effectively drained

• repairs water mains pipes if a water main bursts.

You can report leaks or burst water mains to Thames Water online or by calling 0800 714 614.

The Council

We are the lead local flood authority for the borough and have the following responsibilities:

• leading the coordination of local flood risk management in Lewisham with the other organisations involved

• developing a local flood risk management strategy

• statutory powers to carry out works to manage flood risk, consistent with the local flood risk management strategy

• identifying and managing the flood risk from surface runoff, groundwater and small watercourses and ditches, known as ordinary watercourses

• investigating significant flooding events

• managing ordinary watercourse activities

• maintaining a register of flood risk assets

• designating assets or features considered to affect the flood risk from surface runoff and groundwater

• approval of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)

• designate third party assets or features that affect flood risk and give notice to owners that they have been so designated.

We also have responsibilities for flooding in our role as the highway authority:

• to maintain the public highway network, excluding red routes which are managed by Transport for London

• to ensure highways are drained of surface water and, where necessary, maintain all drainage systems.

Please bear in mind that it is natural, after very heavy rainfall, for the gullies and sewers to take a few hours to clear the water that has fallen on the road, but if the flooding on one of our roads hasn’t subsided you can report this using our online form or by contacting the Council switchboard which is available 24/7 at 0208 314 6000.

As the local planning authority, we require developers in certain situations to identify and mitigate the risk of flooding to their proposed development and provide this information as part of the planning application process. This requirement is underpinned by a strategic flood risk assessment which forms part of the evidence base for the Local Development Framework.

We also have a range of responsibilities in an emergency.

Transport for London

• As the highway authority for red routes they have a duty to ensure highways are drained of surface water. You can report flooding incidents on their roads online.
• They are also responsible for maintaining all drainage systems on red routes.