Flooding
Flood protection products and sandbags
As a property owner it is your responsibility to protect your property from flooding, see our Flooding advice for homeowners or Flooding advice for businesses pages on how to prepare your home or your business for flooding.
Flood protection products
Of the things you can do, flood defence products like flood gates, non-return valves, air brick covers and toilet bungs, are a good way to protect yourself. Information and advice about these products, where to buy them, and how to fit them, can be found on the National Flood Forum's Blue Pages website:
Blue Pages: Independent flood directory (opens new window)
Sandbags: traditional and modern alternatives
Sandbags have traditionally been used in flood defence to block doorways and drains, weigh-down manhole covers and garden furniture, and to block sink, toilet and bath drains to prevent water backing up. However, they are relatively ineffective when compared to modern, purpose-designed flood protection products, which we strongly encourage people to use.
Modern alternatives to traditional sandbags are lightweight and can soak up water. They are easier to store and, although they can't be used twice, some are biodegradable. See: Sandbags - Traditional and Alternatives (bluepages.org.uk) (opens new window) for details.
You need to make your own arrangements to buy sandbags. We have a limited supply, requests for them during an emergency are considered on a case by case basis and prioritised by level of need or vulnerability. See our Flood sandbag policy (PDF, 16 KB)(opens new window).
Supplies of sandbags and sand
Supplies of sandbags and sand may be available from your local builders' merchants.
