Pluvial / Surface Water Flooding Risk?

I've been following the threads on this forum for quite some time, getting lots of tips that I have saved to apply to my renovation project that will be starting soon after I complete my flat purchase!

However, I just got back the results of an Environment Report, and was unsure about one of the items... I thought maybe someone on this forum might have some knowledge about it. Apologies if it is a bit off topic.

Got back the Homecheck Professional Environmental Report from the solicitor, and it says that although the property isn't in danger of defended flood, undefended flood, or tidal flood, it is "within 250m of an area at potential risk of surface water flooding" (pluvial flood).

The recommendation from the report company is to get a Homecheck Professional Flood Report.

I am unsure what to do?

Some property info - its a two bed first floor maisonette flat, Victorian build.

Is risk of flooding from surface water seems very much like saying if it rains alot and the drains overflow, I might get flooded? And how serious should I take this warning on the environmental report? Did you get the same thing in your environmental search report? And what did you choose to do?

Ponding is a type of flooding that can happen in relatively flat areas. Rain water falling in an area is normally stored in the ground, in canals or lakes, or is drained away, or pumped out. When more rainwater enters a water system than can be stored, or can leave the system, flooding occurs. In this case, rain is the source of the flood: not water coming from a river, but water on its way to the river. That's why it is also called "pluvial flood".

Puddles and ponds develop on the land, canals are filled to brim and spill over; gradually a layer of water covers the land. It is like urban flooding, but without the sewage systems and in more rural areas.

Because of the gradual character people have time to go indoors or leave the area. The layer of water is no more than centimeters or perhaps decimeters high and causes no immediate threat to people’s lifes. Depending on the economic activity and size of the area that is covered it may cause immense economic damage.

http://www.floodsite.net/juniorfloodsite/html/en/student/thingstoknow/hydrology/ponding.html

Good to know then that there's probably no danger of being swept away with pluvial flooding... at least in London I guess, although I'm sure in some parts of the world there could be flash floods.

I guess its not something I should worry about too much then. Pretty much any area in the UK that's not on a hill will be at risk of "ponding" and "surface water flooding" right?

Two bed, First floor Maisonette flat? If you were to suffer flooding, I'd feel bloody sorry for the people who live on the ground floor.

as its first floor nothing to worry about, just hang a boat outside by a window

Its true - I don't have to worry about my first floor flat flooding. But as its leasehold, I suspect that if there's any damage to the external structure of the building from flooding, I probably would have to share out in the repair costs.

Then buy out the freeholder - not as difficult as you might think allegedly

Nige F said:

Then buy out the freeholder - not as difficult as you might think allegedly

Click to expand...

That won't solve the problem - if the area gets flooded, then I'll still have to pay for any repairs to the whole building! (shared out with the ground floor flat of course).