Residents can take a number of actions to help reduce the risk/scale of future flooding.

Actions to take:

• Support the flood forum’s fundraising efforts
• Read the Thatcham forum’s resident guide
• Report blocked highway drains
• Report blocked surface water drains/features
• Keep ditches/water flows clear

Support the flood forum’s fundraising efforts

Government rules mean that local communities must contribute towards major infrastructure projects. These contributions unlock greater funding from government organisations e.g. environment agencies.

In the past local businesses and organisations have donated large sums of money. The money that was raised unlocked funding for future phases.

If your organisation/business could contribute then contact us for information to understand the best way to make a contribution.

Funding will need to be raised to unlock money for future phases.

Read Thatcham forum’s resident guide

The Thatcham flood forum has compiled this guide for local residents.

This gives important advice to help residents understand how to prepare and how to respond if flooding occurs.

Report blocked highway drains

Drains in the road are an important part of the mechanism to manage flood waters.

It is important that these are kept clear to ensure that water can flow quickly away.

A blocked drain caused a build of water that led to the rear of a house being flooded. This caused immense disruption to the family there.

If you spot a blocked drain in a road then please use the West Berkshire tool here to report the problem or call 01635 551111

Report blocked surface water drains

There are a number of ponds/clear areas where water will be stored in the event of future flooding.

It is important that these are not blocked by litter and debris. A blocked feed into a pond can dramatically slow the release rate and increase the risk of flooding in the surrounding area.

In one case a balancing pond was blocked to the extent that it took 2 days to empty instead of 2 hours. This risks that the water backs up and may flood areas further upstream e.g. residential areas.

Keeping ditches clear

Water flows naturally along a number of ditches/culverts in Thatcham. These water courses are important because they control where the water flows and ensures that water can be stored in the ponds/drained away.

If you have ditches running through your land then ensure that these are not blocked.

If you are not sure who owns the land then contact the council so they can help. A little time spent reporting the problem could save a lot of time/money.

Obstructions in ditches or blocked ditches can lead to:

• Reduced flow rate causing water to backup in the drainage system
• Flood other areas upstream

If flooding occurs – be mindful of people affected by the flooding

Being flooded is one of the worst events that could happen.

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless absolutely necessary. Driving through flooded areas can create waves that can flood areas that weren’t previously flooded.

Other useful contacts

This page contains other useful contacts and information about flood management.

This page contains information about working with insurance companies.