Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/790461
march 2017 WET NEWS 19 Owners of property at risk from flooding are being urged to get flood resilient before wet weather strikes. Act now – or pay later INSIGHT FlOOd risk management W inter is almost at an end, but flooding caused by heavy rainfall and high tides remains a real threat in the UK. With that in mind, it is astonishing to tanker pumps can shift 700 cubic feet per minute into atac's 4,000 gallon tankers note an Association of British Insurers (ABI) report which states thousands of UK householders in flood-risk areas have failed to install basic protection against rising waters. In highlighting ways in which improvements can be made to prevent homes succumbing to forces of nature, the ABI recommends the installation of flood-proof doors – even in buildings guarded by seemingly robust flood defences. It is a call backed by ATAC Solutions, a UK specialist in wastewater and water management, which urges companies and consumers to fully-guard their properties before wet weather strikes. Action plan There are demands in the UK for an increase in tighter building standards to ensure at-risk homes become more flood-resistant. BRE chief executive Dr Peter Bonfield outlined recommendations into how properties can become more resilient to flooding. Despite grants of up to £5,000 being available from the government to flood-proof properties that • have previously been deluged, it remains a source of frustration for insurers that many homeowners have remained unwilling to take-up the offer. In his action plan for change, Bonfield highlighted five key steps to increasing flood resilience in properties: • Assessing whether building regulations can be better- employed to encourage flood-resilient construction in properties most at risk • Affordable flood insurance provider, Flood Re, to investigate how it can incentivise householders to implement flood resilient measures to reduce UK claims costs • Increase householders' confidence in flood- protection products by introducing 'rigorous' independent standards and certification processes • The introduction of an independently-run online portal which offers information on how to make properties flood resilient • The government to work closely with insurers,