Tell us about flooding and how we respond to a flood.
It’s an emergency!
If you have a flooding emergency call West Midlands Fire Service on 999 or 112.
During flooding you should focus on the safety of yourself and others and make sure to stay out of floodwater.
You can find advice at the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Prepared website.
Report flooding
If flooding is from:
- a highway such as blocked drains or a ditch, call us on 0121 704 8004
- a burst water main or sewer, call Severn Trent Water on 0800 783 4444
- a main river, call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60
For all other types of flooding (groundwater, surface water and flooding from small watercourses) please call 0121 704 8004.
If you have a general enquiry about flood risk and drainage you can email us at drainage@solihull.gov.uk.
Sandbags
You should make your own arrangements to protect your home from flooding. We’ll only look at providing sandbags when there is an imminent danger of flooding.
If you can’t get sandbags, you can use plastic bags or pillow cases filled with soil or sand. The Environment Agency provides advice on how to use sandbags.
Our roles and responsibilities
We are the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for the borough and a such we are responsible for co-ordinating flood risk management across the area in partnership with local authorities and organisations.
We are required to:
- prepare and maintain a strategy for local flood risk management in Solihull
- coordinate views and activity with other local bodies and communities through public consultation and scrutiny, and delivery planning
- maintain a register of assets - these are features that have a significant effect on flooding in their area
- investigate significant local flooding incidents and publish the results
- comment on major planning applications
- issue consents for altering, removing or replacing certain structures or features on ordinary watercourses
- play a lead role in emergency planning and recovery after a flood event
The role of other partner organisations
As LLFA, we work with a number of other Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) to manage flooding across Solihull.
We are responsible for fixing drainage and flooding issues on highways and roads, including blocked drains and gullies on the roads.
Flooded gullies are often caused by overflowing sewers that should be reported to Seven Trent.
Ditches alongside roads are normally the responsibility of neighbouring landowners.
Call 0121 704 8000 to report flooding on a highway, including blocked drains and gullies on roads.
Severn Trent Water manage flooding and the flood risk from public sewers and water mains across Solihull. This includes making sure they can maintain essential water supply and sewerage services during a flood. They may also be responsible for removing surface water from your property for treatment using public sewers.
Call 0800 783 4444 to report flooding from one of their burst water mains or sewers.
The Environment Agency is responsible for flood risk management activities on main rivers within Solihull (the River Blythe and River Cole in the north of the borough), for regulating reservoir safety, and providing flood warnings.
Call 0345 988 1188 or 0800 80 70 60 to report a flooding issue from a main river or reservoir in Solihull or you wish to carry out work on a main river.
The Environment Agency report live flooding updates within the West Midlands area.
National Highways manage drainage on the:
- M6
- M42
- major trunk roads including sections of the A45
Call 0300 123 5000 to report flooding on these motorways.
FloodRe is the national scheme designed to help provide better access to affordable home insurance for those in high flood-risk areas across the UK. It represents a long-term, sustainable approach to providing home insurance for those at flood risk.