Drainage and flooding

Council help in a flooding emergency and reporting issues with sewage, gullies, drainage, manhole covers and flooding on roads and footpaths.

How does the council help in a flood emergency?

If a general flood emergency is declared, when several organisations such as the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and the ‘blue light’ services, become involved then the council will cease normal operations. Manpower and resources are diverted primarily to help with sandbag distribution, the priority being to prevent water from running off the highway and causing the risk of flooding to property.

Read more about protecting your home from flooding

What will the council do if my property starts to flood?

The council will endeavour to provide sandbags only to stop water coming off the public highway where it may pose a risk of flooding homes. Should this occur then contact contact us on (01482) 393939. Where water is running off adjacent land then householders must take whatever action is necessary to protect their property in conjunction with the relevant adjoining landowners.

Why does sewage come out of the gully in the road when it rains heavily?

Many gullies, particularly in urban areas, form part of a combined drainage system and are connected directly to the sewers. If there is a blockage in the system, or the quantity of water is too great, then material can back up and will come out of the gully at the lowest point.

Does the council get information on potential flooding?

Yes, the Environment Agency issues flood watch reports when weather conditions are such that flooding may occur on the highway both inland and along the coast. These are relayed direct to offices, and also responsible officers mobile telephones. The council has a procedure whereby officers attend the site and make necessary arrangements to provide sandbags, gully emptiers and any other necessary plant.

Check for flooding - Environment Agency website

How often does the council empty gullies?

The council's routine gully emptying programme is intended to ensure that each highway gully, on publicly maintainable roads, is emptied once a year. Some gullies may become blocked in the intervening period and we therefore have the capacity to attend to these on an ad-hoc basis once we receive a report. We also have a drainage repair team to deal with issues that cannot be solved by just emptying the gully chamber, such as collapsed drains.

Subscribe to East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Stay updated on the latest East Riding news

We use GovDelivery to send you emails, which is secure and you can choose to stop receiving emails at any time.

Find out more in our Privacy notice.

Subscribe to East Riding News

Alerts