Who to contact in the event of a flood

A number of different agencies have responsibility for responding to flooding depending on the location.

Key emergency contact

During a flooding event, if you are vulnerable or feel that lives are at risk, contact the emergency services on 999 for immediate assistance and rescue.

If the issue is urgent but not life threatening, please contact us by phone on:

Camden Council Switchboard

020 7974 4444 (24hrs)

Environment Agency Hotline

0800 80 70 60

Call your water company (Thames Water)

0800 316 9800

Council homes

For flooding in and around Council homes:

report to your housing office

Or if the flood is caused by a repair such as a burst pipe:

report to housing repairs

Gullies and drains

For blocked gullies or drains, which are not the main sewer and are not on private property: report the problem online

Public sewers and burst water mains

Public sewers in Camden are maintained by Thames Water.

If you suspect a blockage, of if your property has been flooded by the public sewer, contact Thames Water 

Thames Water 0800 316 9800

Private sewers

Sewers on private property are the responsibility of the property owner if they serve only that property. Beyond the property boundary, the pipes are the responsibility of Thames Water following the 2011 private sewer transfer.

If the pipes are shared with another property or were installed before 1937 visit thameswater.co.uk

Water service pipe or internal pipe work

The property owner is responsible for all water pipe work and should keep it maintained using a suitably qualified plumber.

If you see a leak that isn't on your property, you can report the link online.

River flooding

There are no major rivers in Camden but if you see river flooding elsewhere please call the Environment Agency incident hotline 0800 80 70 60 (24hrs).

Groundwater flooding

If you have been flooded internally please email greencamden@camden.gov.uk and we will get in contact with you.

Reservoirs and ponds

The Hampstead Ponds are managed by the Corporation of London. The 24hr contact number for emergencies at the ponds is 020 7332 3478. If it is not an emergency, contact: hampstead.heath@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Canals

If there is too much water in a canal contact the Canal and River Trust

24hr emergency number 0800 47 999 47.

After a flood

If you have been flooded internally please email greencamden@camden.gov.uk  and we will get in contact with you. This should not be used in an emergency to request Council assistance. 

The London Borough of Camden as a Lead Local Flood Authority is required to undertake investigations on significant flood events under the Flood and Water Management Act and the Flood Risk Regulations. The criteria triggering a Flood Investigation is set out in the Council’s Flood Risk Management Strategy. 

By reporting flooding to the Council after the event, it will help us collate a full picture on what and where issues happened. The focus and the priority for the Council will be on significant reports of flooding that have resulted in internal flooding of properties or commercial premises, though all reports are useful. 

All the information supplied will form part of a historic database of flooding for the London Borough of Camden. The Council will retain this information and may wish to use this and photos provided within the Flood Investigation. Your personal details will not be published though this data will be retained in perpetuity for this purpose. 

The Council will need to share this information with other bodies who have a statutory duty in the management of flood risk such as the Environment Agency and Thames Water. This helps us all gain a clear picture of those affected and can work better together to reduce the risks and prioritise resources and fulfill statutory duties. 

The Lead Local Flood Authority team in Camden will also be collating information from other services that manage council land or highways, as well other organisations involved in events.
 

Flood risk

Camden is not at risk of flooding from the Thames or any other open rivers.

The main risk of flooding within the borough is from surface water after significant rainfall events, and incapacity in the combined sewer to remove rain water. Groundwater flooding is also a growing issue in Camden.

There have been three significant surface and sewer flooding events in Camden in the past 40 years. The first occurred in August 1975, the second in August 2002 and the third in July 2021. All events were caused by sudden extreme downpours.

What are we doing?

The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 makes all unitary authorities, including the London Borough of Camden, lead Local Flood Authorities. This means we have overall responsibility for managing flood risk from surface water and ground water in the borough. However we will not be able to stop flooding on our own so we need to work with other organisations as well as residents and businesses to help us manage flood risk. Two of the most important local stakeholders are Thames Water and the City of London Corporation. for more information on how the council is managing flood risk please download our strategy document below.

Managing flood risk in Camden: The London Borough of Camden flood risk management strategy (PDF 1.57MB)

Flood Risk Maps

In accordance with the Flood Risk Regulations, maps showing the flood risk from rivers, reservoirs and surface water runoff have been published on the Environment Agency website. The maps for river and reservoir flooding (including that from the Hampstead Heath ponds) have been published before but this is the first time surface water risk has been included.

If you have any concerns about anything to do with the maps, please contact Green Camden at: greencamden@camden.gov.uk

What we are doing to manage the risk of flooding in the borough

We will:

• Deliver on the actions identified in the London Borough of Camden flood risk management strategy
• Record flood incidents to improve our understanding of flood risk
• Investigate flooding incidents to determine the causes. If you have been flooded internally please email greencamden@camden.gov.uk and we will get in contact with you
• Maintain a public register of structures and features that are likely to have a significant effect on flood risk in Camden
• We are a statutory consultee for all major planning applications with reference to Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) proposals and flood risk
• Other organisations also have roles to play in managing flood risk, as do residents themselves. More information about this can be found on our flood risk page

Flood Asset Register

Camden Council is obliged to produce a register of all assets it believes pose a significant risk to flooding.

The register focuses on the drainage assets in, or impacting on, the areas of greatest flood risk (see map below) as well as any major features. An asset being on this register does necessarily not mean that its failure by itself will cause problems but that it could add cumulatively to the risk and hence we are monitoring its condition.

Flood Risk Map 

This register will continue to grow as more information comes in. If you have any questions about it, or wish to see a copy of the register, please contact the Lead Local Flood Authority: greencamden@camden.gov.uk

Camden's Flood Investigation Report into the July 2021 Floods

In July 2021, Camden experienced surface water and sewer surcharge flooding affecting streets and properties. The extent of the flooding triggered a requirement for the Council to complete statutory Flood Investigation Report. 

The report outlines the impacts of the floods, the main factors that contributed to the flooding as well as recommendations on what can be done to limit the impact of future flooding.

Camden appointed AECOM to complete the Flood Investigation report which was produced in consultation with residents, neighbouring local authorities and partners including Thames Water, the London Fire Brigade and the Environment Agency.

The findings and recommendations of the Flood Investigation Report will be incorporated into a new Flood Risk Management Strategy for Camden which will be published for consultation in the late summer. 

Section 19 Flood Investigation Report – July 2021 

• Managing flood risk in Camden: The London Borough of Camden’s risk management strategy. Our overall approach to managing flood risk, approved by the Council in 2013. The updated strategy will be published in 2022.
• Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA): A PFRA is a high level assessment of flood risk involving the collection of information on past (historic) and future (potential) floods. This is a statutory document under the Flood Risk Regulations which all councils had to produce
• Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP): a non-statutory document produced to outline our approach to management of surface water flood risk
• Camden SFRA 2014 (PDF): Camden’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, produced to support the Local Plan policies. It collates and presents the most up to date information on Flood Risk in the borough
• Camden SFRA 2014: updated figure 6 ‘Local Flood Risk Zones’ 
• Sustainable drainage systems in planning applications

• Thame's Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMP). Camden sits in the Greater London Flood Risk Area in relation to surface water flooding. We have worked with the Environment Agency to propose local measures for the Thames Basin FRMP. 

The draft Camden Flood Risk Management Strategy 2022-2027 (FRMS) public consultation is now live. The FRMS sets out how Camden Council and partner authorities will work together to manage flood risk and increase resilience across the borough until 2027. The Council has produced the FRMS under the requirements of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. 

We want to hear your thoughts on the Strategy as an individual, community, business, or organisation within Camden. We are interested in hearing your views on the proposed strategy for mitigating flood risk and creating climate resilient communities and would like to hear about your experiences of flooding or actions that have been taken which have had an impact on flood risk.

This consultation will be open for 8 weeks. During this time, you will have the opportunity to review the Strategy and provide your comments. Have your say:

Have your say: Draft Camden Flood Risk Management Strategy 2022-2027

What happens next

Once we have reviewed all the feedback, we will produce a final version of the Strategy, based on your comments, incorporating suggested changes where practical.  Following the changes, the Strategy will be considered for adoption by Camden Council’s Cabinet in December 2022.

Accessibility

If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at greencamden@camden.gov.uk or by telephone on 020 7974 4444 and we will do our best to assist you.