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21 November 2008

Watercourse - Land Drainage



For more information, please contact:

Environmental Health

Tel: 01276 707100

Surrey Heath House
Knoll Road
Camberley
Surrey GU15 3HD

What is a watercourse?

There are many alternative words for a watercourse (ditch, stream, river, brook, channel, canal etc) which, in general terms, means any channel that conveys water.

Who responsible for carrying out works?

Everyone that has a watercourse either within or on the boundary of their land is responsible for the maintenance. Land Drainage for any type of watercourse is under Riparian Law.

Over time, and due to location, some of these watercourses may have been piped (culverted). Although piped systems don't cause immediate problems if well constructed, development increases, improved efficiency of systems and changing climate can lead to these pipes being a restriction as flows exceed their original design.

In order to pipe any watercourse, express permission from the Environment Agency should be sought, with often only essential sections obtaining approval.

What do we do?

Working in close cooperation with the Environment Agency, Surrey Heath Borough Council undertakes a general supervisory role of Land Drainage throughout the Borough. We have close working relationships with Surrey County Council Highways as major land owners within the Borough, also with English Nature and Surrey Wildlife Trust as management authorities for many open spaces.

Due to the low lying nature of the area, the Borough of Surrey Heath has approximately 1,300km (1,300,000m) of Land Drainage systems (watercourses, ditches, streams, rivers)

What's next?

As we all live in the real world, we're all aware that things aren't perfect. The Council doesn't have the manpower or funding to have immediate response to the recent flooding issues. In 2006 and 2007 we have experienced periods of excessive rainfall and the knowledge gained from this requires careful evaluation before solutions can be sought without detrimental effect to other parts of the borough.

We will try to help where we can but the type of support the Council is able to offer will be revised.

Investigation Proposals are to offer subsidised assistance for flood protection equipment to all properties within the Borough.

Last updated on 25/07/2008

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