Sandbags and flood protection
Sandbags are a useful temporary measure to keep out or divert flood water, but if your property is under repeated threat from flooding, then it may be advisable to look for a more permanent method of protection.
There are a number of purpose made flood protection products commercially available to help prevent flood water entering doors, windows and air bricks. Details of various products that are currently available can be found on the Environment Agency website.
Warwick District Council sandbag protocol
There is no statutory requirement for the District or County Council to provide sandbags. Householders and landlords must take responsibility for the protection of their property.
Sandbag provision
The provision of sandbags by local authorities and the Environment Agency will only cover the following areas:
- Environment Agency – prevention of major breaches or overtopping of watercourses. Environment Agency phone numbers.
- Warwickshire County Council – prevention of flooding of the highway and from the highway to adjacent properties. Contact the County Highways department.
- Warwick District Council – preventing flooding to council property
- Warwickshire Fire and Rescue – holds a small stock of sandbags for use in cases where there is an urgent and imminent threat to either life or property.
Commercial premises - are normally responsible for carrying out their own risk assessments for flooding and for ordering their own supplies of sandbags.
Some parish councils - have a small supply of filled and unfilled sandbags to help their communities who are at the risk of flooding. The parish council is responsible for the storage, maintenance and delivery or collection of their stocks within the parish. Please note that Norton Lindsey do not hold a stock.
Where to purchase sandbags
Sandbags can be purchased from most local builders merchants. However, some builders merchants consider sandbags a seasonal item, and they may not always be available.
You may wish to consider purchasing reusable or household specific products such as door-guards or self-absorbent sandbags (which inflate only when wet and take up less storage space). The National Flood Forum has a directory called the Blue Pages which lists suppliers of such products.