Thu, Oct 08, 2026
Text Size
Flooding and Flood Defence

The Environment Agency says flooding is set to continue into the weekend along the Thames valley and in Somerset while Windsor, Maidenhead and communities in Surrey are being warned to expect severe disruption as the Thames to could reach its highest levels in some places since 1947.

In a Downing Street press conference on the flooding crisis the Prime Minister said “money is no object” in the ongoing UK flood relief effort and that “whatever money is needed, we will spend it."

somerset flood 2014 - Van Heck pumpsThe Environment Agency is stepping up its pumping operations on the Somerset Levels with additional pumping on both the Sowy and the King’s Sedgemoor Drain.

Communities along the River Thames and in Somerset are being warned to expect more flooding as river levels continue to rise.

Sutton and East Surrey Water is battling to prevent severe flooding forcing it to shut down its water treatment works in Kenley.

A £2.2 million restoration of peat bogs on Exmoor has resulted in a third less water leaving the moorland during heavy rainfall compared with three years ago, according to a new study.

A leading expert in water infrastructure provision has said that if UK flooding and water shortages are to be tackled it is time to stop waiting for legislation to be enforced. The UK needs a more holistic approach to water management - including more green infrastructure and the implementation of SuDS in both existing and new built environment.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said that no compensation is available for farmers on Somerset levels affected by flooding.

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management is calling for further UK and devolved government funding to mitigate flood risk and to provide greater resilience to climate change and its anticipated flood impacts in UK.

There are now 16 severe flood warnings in place for the River Thames and in parts of Somerset with  army and navy on standby to help.

107
Page 107 of 120

News Showcase

Sign up to receive the Waterbriefing newsletter:


Watch

Click here for more...

Login / Register




Forgot login?

New Account Registrations

To register for a new account with Waterbriefing, please contact us via email at waterbriefing@imsbis.org

Existing waterbriefing users - log into the new website using your original username and the new password 'waterbriefing'. You can then change your password once logged in.

Advertise with Waterbriefing

WaterBriefing is the UK’s leading online daily dedicated news and intelligence service for business professionals in the water sector – covering both UK and international issues. Advertise with us for an unrivalled opportunity to place your message in front of key influencers, decision makers and purchasers.

Find out more

About Waterbriefing

Water Briefing is an information service, delivering daily news, company data and product information straight to the desks of purchasers, users and specifiers of equipment and services in the UK water and wastewater industry.


Find out more