What we are responsible for

We are responsible for managing:

• groundwater flooding when water levels in the ground rise above surface levels
• flash flooding when heavy rainfall overwhelms the drains or a pumping station fails
• river flooding when a watercourse cannot cope with the water draining into it 

We work closely with the Environment Agency and Thames Water to provide a joined-up approach. We also have a duty to investigate flooding. We’ll usually do this when:

• a property floods more than once 
• 5 or more properties flood during a single incident
• important services flood
• we’re not sure what’s caused a flood

Always report a flood so we can:

• keep accurate records
• identify areas most at risk
• prioritise our action

Report a flood

Flooding strategy

We must produce a strategy for local flood risk management. It describes: 

• how we manage floods in Southwark including ordinary watercourses, groundwater and surface water
• our priorities for managing local flood risk 
• our a delivery plan to manage the risk

Read the local flood risk management strategy (LFRMS):