A new report from CIWEM, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, is warning that only a third of local authorities have enough staff to manage flash flood risk.

Funded by the Association of SuDS Authorities (ASA) and the Local Government Technical Advisory Group for Flood Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM), on Surface Water Management, the report has found that Risk Management Authorities (RMAs), particularly local government, are significantly under-resourced to manage surface water flood risk.

According to the report, surface water flood risk is “commonly managed by small teams frustrated by unclear duties and remit, complicated funding processes, fragmented data and a lack of capacity and skills.”

Only a third of RMAs that responded to a survey for the report said they have a full complement of staff to deliver surface water management and three quarters of RMAs are struggling to recruit new staff. The report also suggested half of the RMAs who responded don’t have locally ring-fenced budgets to manage surface water flooding.

More than five million households are reported to be currently at risk from this form of flooding. Surface water management in England is not consistently coordinated or supported with enough locally allocated funds to sufficiently manage future flood risks.

"Increasing pressures from climate change and urban development, set against under-gunned authorities responsible for managing them"

CIWEM President Steve Thompsett commented:

“This research presents a picture of the increasing pressures from climate change and urban development, set against under-gunned authorities responsible for managing them. There is progress being made, following various reviews over recent years but it’s not yet feeding through into the lived experience of many overstretched authorities.”

With flash flooding such as that which hit parts of England on Tuesday and London in July 2021 projected to become more prevalent, the need to manage surface water flood risk is critical.

Responsibility lies with risk management authorities defined by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 – these are primarily local authorities and water companies.

Unlike flooding from rivers or the sea, surface water flooding can happen anywhere due to the nature of heavy downpours which commonly cause it.

Areas of particular risk are those with heavy urban development as increased areas of hard surfaces prevent rainfall and runoff soaking into the ground, exacerbating the problem.

The findings of the report identify areas where improvement can be made, including better cooperation between RMAs working in the same locations, government and the Environment Agency, particularly providing better clarity on expectations for managing surface water flood risk and where and how different responsibilities fall.

The report says that recent reviews of surface water management undertaken by David Jenkins (Defra, 2020) and the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) in 2022 clearly identify significant challenges for the management of surface water in England. The challenges are most acutely felt by Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and Highway Authority Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) where in many instances the lack of government leadership, coordination, and appropriate funding access is at the root of the problem.

The challenges can be overcome through improved leadership and clarity from across organisations.

However, the experts warn:

“The NIC priority recommendation is a focus on the management and maintenance of surface water assets and infrastructure. We need to urgently ensure that sufficient funding is available to enable RMAs to do this.”

Click here to download the report in full