Severn Trent experience surge in calls after heavy rain

Neil Clarke, customer contact manager for Severn Trent said: “Since the storms on Monday we’ve seen a lot more calls than we would normally see at this time of year.

“Most of these calls are to get advice on or to report incidents of flooding, which we are monitoring and keeping a close eye on.

“We were aware that this weather was coming and we’ve worked hard to get ready for it. We’ve got extra staff on the phones in our call centre and additional teams available on the ground to deal with flooding issues. We’re also out and about keeping an eye on those areas with a high risk of flooding.

Mr Clarke also offered advise to customers experiencing problems with flooding.

“If you have flooding at your home, check to see if it’s just rainwater or if it’s sewage that has come from an overflowing sewer, possibly through a manhole cover in your garden or outside your property,” he said.

“If it’s just rainwater, the flooding should subside when it stops raining, although it can take up to four hours for water to drain away, so be patient.

“Where sewage is escaping this is obviously a priority for us, so please call us on 0800 783 4444 and we’ll get a team out to help as quickly as possible.

“If you’re concerned about flooding from drains and gullies in the road, you should call the local council as they are responsible for road drainage, but again, we generally find that the flooding will go away when it stops raining.”

“We’d like to reassure our customers that we are doing everything that we can do deal with flooding issues as quickly as possible and ask them for their patience during this time.”