Worried
about flooding?
In the case
of foul water flooding please contact
Thames Water Authority on 08459 200 800
who will assist you with provision of
sand bags. Please be patient as they are
currently experiencing a high volume of
calls.
Please note that the District Council
will provide sand bags in emergency situations
to protect from internal flooding. However,
with the current severe weather we are
unable to guarantee delivery. It is therefore
recommended that householders make their
own arrangements to obtain sandbags privately
from local builders merchants.
The District Council contact number for
emergency calls is 01252 622122
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:: Flood
health advice
Flooding Guidance Notes
The following notes give guidance on
who to contact for various types of flooding:
Flooding from Public
Sewers
Thames Water own and manage the network
of public foul and surface water sewers.
The majority of public sewers are located
in highways and the Council has a copy
of the Thames Water sewer maps, which
can be viewed at the Civic Offices. To
report an overflowing public sewer, you
should call Thames Water Customer Services
on 08459 200 800 (24 hour service).
Flooding from Private
Sewers or Drains
If your private drains or sewers are
overflowing, you will need a drainage
contractor to deal with any blockage.
See "Yellow Pages" under "Drain
and Pipe Cleaning". If you are uncertain
if any blockage is in the public or private
sewers, Thames Water should be able to
determine this, once on site, then recharge
you the cost of any work on the private
sewers.
Flooding from the Public
Highway
For flooding from the public highway
or reporting blocked road gullies or gratings,
contact the Hampshire County Council Area
Surveyor's office at Hook, on 01256 764444,
or 0845 8504 422.
Flooding from a Burst
Water Main
The local water supply company are South
East Water of 3 Church Road, Haywards
Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3NY; telephone
number 01444 448200 (Head Office) or 0845
301 0845 (Customer Call Centre). The water
company are responsible for their supply
up to and including the water stopcock.
Flooding from a Water
Service Pipe or Internal Pipework
This is the responsibility of the homeowner
or landlord and would need the attention
of a plumber (see "Yellow Pages"
or similar directories).
Flooding from a Main
River
The main rivers in the Hart district
are the Hart, Blackwater and Whitewater
and are the responsibility of the Environment
Agency. The Agency's general enquiry number
is 08708 506 506, and their 24hr Floodline
advice and information service for floods
and flood warnings is 0845 988 1188.
Flooding from Watercourses,
other than Main Rivers
Watercourses, other than main rivers,
are the responsibility of riparian owners.
You are a riparian owner if your property
or land is on, or very near, a watercourse.
Riparian owners have a duty to keep the
watercourse clear of any obstruction to
flow and the Council can serve legal notices
on riparian owners to deal with obstructions.
Some watercourses, that are known to pose
a high risk of property flooding if they
become blocked have been re-classified
as 'Critical Ordinary Watercourses' and
are now managed by the Environment Agency.
For advice, during office hours, ring
Hart District Council on 01252 774426.
Provision of Sandbags
to Protect against Flooding
The Council makes sandbags available
to residents of the district, during emergency
situations, to enable them to protect
their homes from flooding. However, residents
who are aware that their homes are at
a high risk of flooding, e.g. as a result
of the close proximity of a watercourse,
are recommended to obtain sandbags from
a builders' merchant to enable early preparation,
as at times of flooding the Council's
contractor may not be able to reach all
properties before flooding occurs.
For sandbags in emergencies during office
hours telephone 01252 774426 and out of
hours 01252 622122 for the number of the
Council's contractor.
Jewson
( 01252 613555) at 128 Clarence Road and
Travis Perkins (01252 613681) in Fleet
Road, Fleet or (01252 843366) at Albion
Place, Hartley Wintney can generally supply
empty sandbags plus bags of sand.
Flood Health
Advice
The heavy rain of the past few weeks
looks set to continue, so we may have
to get ready for more flooding. Make sure
you and your family are prepared and know
what to do, should your area be flooded.
If you take medication:
- Plan ahead - buy any repeat prescriptions
ahead of time, just in case flood waters
prevent you getting to a pharmacy.
- Keep all medication in a water tight
container. Where possible store medication
on a second floor, or if you live in
a one storey home, make sure your medication
is as high as possible, for example
on a shelf unit.
- Pack all necessary medications in
the unfortunate event of having to be
evacuated.Do not take any medication
that has been damaged by flood water.
If your medication is damaged, speak
to a pharmacist, and if necessary buy
replacement medication.
Although the risk of infections and
illness is very low after your home has
been flooded, its better to take precautions
to look after the health of yourself and
your family.
Read on for guidance from the Health
Protection Agency on keeping health risks
to a minimum.
General advice
Floodwater and sewage often leaves a
muddy deposit. However, experience from
previous flooding and sewage contamination
has shown that any risk to health is small
and you will not need any booster immunisations
or antibiotics.
Health risks can be minimised by taking
general hygiene precautions and by the
use of protective clothing (waterproof
boots and gloves) whilst cleaning up.
You should also always wash your hands
with soap and clean water:
- after you go to the toilet,
- when you eat or prepare food,
- after being in contact with flood
water, sewage or items that have been
contaminated by flood water, and
- after participating in flood cleanup
activities.
Don't allow children to play in floodwater
areas and wash children's hands frequently
(always before meals). Wash floodwater-contaminated
toys with hot water and disinfectant before
allowing them to be used again.
Keep any open cuts or sores clean and
prevent them being exposed to flood water.
Wear waterproof plasters.
Harmful bacteria may be present in sewage
and animal slurry, and this can pass into
flood water, although it is likely to
be extremely diluted. If you or anyone
in your family gets symptoms such as sickness,
diarrhoea, or tummy cramps, speak with
your GP or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647
for advice.
If the floodwater contained oil, petrol
or diesel it should go away with the floodwater
and silt. Any remaining oil, diesel or
petrol contamination can be removed by
using a detergent solution and washing
the surface down after initial cleaning
has been carried out.
In inaccessible areas such as under
floorboards it may smell but is not necessarily
a health hazard. Get further advice from
the environmental health department at
your local council if the smell persists
or if you are particularly concerned about
it for other reasons.
As your property continues to dry out,
vacuum any loose material and dust on
a regular basis.
Very young children should avoid playing
directly on timber floorboards or any
damaged tiled floors if possible - be
aware of the risk of injury from sharp
edges on tiles or raised nails in the
floorboards until these have been repaired.
Speak with your GP or call NHS Direct
on 0845 46 47 if you become ill after
accidentally swallowing mud or contaminated
water.
Cleaning up inside your home
When returning to your home after a flood,
be aware that flood water may contain
sewage. Protect yourself and your family
by following these steps:
- If there has been a backflow of sewage
into the house, wear rubber boots and
waterproof gloves during cleanup.
- Keep children and pets out of the
affected area until cleanup has been
completed.
- Clean walls, hard-surfaced floors,
and other household surfaces with soap
and water and disinfected with a solution
of one cup of bleach to five gallons
of water.
- Wash all linen and clothing in hot
water, or dry-clean. Air dry items that
cannot be washed or dry cleaned, such
as mattresses and upholstered furniture,
in the sun. Then spray them thoroughly
with a disinfectant. Steam clean all
carpeting if you can.
- Remove and discard all soft furnishings,
fittings, wall coverings, cloth, rugs,
and drywall (also include mattresses,
carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered
furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals,
baby toys, pillows, foam-rubber items,
books, wall coverings, and most paper
products) that are damaged beyond repair.
- Remove dirty water and silt from the
property including the space under the
ground floor if you have wooden floors.
This space may need pumping out.
- Wash down all hard surfaces with hot
soapy water until they look clean.
- Allow to thoroughly dry - this will
also help to destroy germs left behind.
For more info see: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
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