The impact of flooding on your business can be devastating, with consequences in both the short and long term. The immediate aftermath can include having to close your business, leading to a loss of custom and revenue. Further down the line, risks include higher insurance, structural damage to your property and a ruined reputation.
As climate change becomes more prevalent, the UK will face increasingly frequent and intense flooding events. While once flooding was only a concern if your business was located near a watercourse, it’s now happening more often in urban areas caused by burst pipes, blocked gutters and blocked drains – all a result of ongoing harm to the planet and our local environments.
Thankfully, there are plenty of flood prevention measures you can put in place to protect your business in the event of flooding, and resources you can reach out to for support when you need help in a flooding emergency.
How to Protect Your Property From Flooding
If your business is in an area prone to flooding, you’ll need to consider ways of preventing water from entering your building. There are some immediate steps you can take to achieve this, including –
- Temporary seals placed around doors and windows
- Air brick covers – particularly those automatically affected by flood water
- Plywood installed to cover doorways
- Water absorbent sandbags to soak up water that enters the property
All of these flood prevention measures will act as a short-term solution to preventing flooding within your building.
As flooding can cause sewage to backflow into a building, you should also consider installing one-way, or non-return, valves in toilets and drain pipes, to add another layer of protection.
Minimising Flood Damage
There are additional steps you can take to minimise the damage to your business and property, should flooding unfortunately occur.
You can:
- Add a built-in water pump to cellars that are vulnerable to flooding, enabling you to pump flood water directly to the nearest drain channel
- Use stone or ceramic tiles for your flooring, as they’re more resistant to water
- Ensure electrical sockets are moved above ground level
- Upgrade wooden window frames to UPVC ones, which are more resilient against water
Services to Protect Your Business From Flooding
The above steps are temporary solutions to protect your property from imminent plumbing, but the best way to protect your business is to undertake preventative measures. There are different services that we can provide your business to provide you with a high level of protection from flooding. These include:
Drain mapping – a detailed drain map includes an outline of your existing drainage system detailing pipework, septic tanks, interceptors, access points for water and discharge points, along with the different types and sizes of pipes. Should a flood occur, you can use the map locate these points quickly, get access to the problem and find ways to discharge the water.- Drain cleaning – drains play a role in causing flooding when they become blocked with leaves, twigs, grease, roots and other materials. When debris becomes clogged in a pipe, it makes it difficult for water to escape, making it more likely to become overwhelmed during heavy rainfall
- Install an interceptor or grease trap – interceptors and grease traps are key at sites where water can become contaminated by fats, oils and grease, such as in car parks or wash down bays. An interceptor can be fitted before the main sewer pipe or discharge outlet to catch any oil and debris and separate it from the water. This means that non-contaminated water can freely flow through the system, reducing the risk of flooding.
- Flood prevention maintenance – regular, routine maintenance of your drainage system and pumping stations can prevent flooding. A drainage expert can conduct a CCTV drain survey to identify areas that are at risk of becoming blocked, then use high-pressure water jetting to clean the area. Jetting can also be used to clean gullies and grease traps, so they’re kept in good working order. Regularly servicing your pump station ensures it’s still in good working order, and is prepared to protect your property in the event of heavy rainfall.
Flood Water Recovery
In the event of a flooded property, it’s essential to remove as much water as possible to limit the amount of water damage. At Willow Pumps, we have a fleet of flood water recovery tankers specially designed to quickly remove water from businesses in the event of flooding. Call us in an emergency, and we’ll quickly extract any standing or foul-smelling water effectively, to minimise long-term damage to your business premises.
Flood Services From Willow Pumps
Willow Pumps’ has a network of highly trained engineers and a fleet of tankers available to make your business more resilient to flooding, through routine maintenance and emergency floodwater recovery.
Contact Willow Pumps today to find out more.
