Press release

Slad Valley residents urged to sign up to community flood gauge

There are residents who live in the Slad Valley near Stroud who may be missing out on essential flood information.

Rep from Environment Agency and Stroud District Council

The area has a community flood gauge, installed by the Environment Agency and managed in partnership with Stroud District Council. These gauges are used in areas at risk of flash flooding and where the Environment Agency are unable to provide their normal flood warning service.

So far only 47% of properties at risk of flooding in the Slad Valley have signed up to the gauge so there are still many more that could benefit from the information provided. The service is free and residents can register by contacting Nicola Manley on 0203 025 1546.

The gauge monitors levels in the Slad Brook. Any changes in water levels are recorded and an automated alert will be issued once river level thresholds are exceeded. The alerts, of which there are 4 levels, can be sent to landlines, mobile phones, email or a mixture of all 3. Once registered residents will also receive access to a website where they can monitor levels during periods of wet weather.

Last week properties at risk of flooding also received an information pack and grab bag which included a letter, personal flood plan, a final copy of the community flood plan and an information leaflet about becoming a flood warden.

Nicola Manley from the Environment Agency said:

Flash floods can happen very quickly, much faster than other forms of river flooding. The gauge helps equip people who live in areas at risk with the information they need to prepare and protect themselves.

Unfortunately we can’t provide Environment Agency flood warnings to areas that respond so quickly to rainfall, but these gauges are the next best step. I would encourage residents living in areas that have a community flood gauge installed to sign up.

Councillor Simon Pickering, chair of Stroud District Council’s Environment Committee, said:

Signing up for this free service seems to me like a bit of no brainer. We all remember 2007 and with increasingly severe and more frequent storms predicted over the next 30 years, I would encourage everyone in the catchment to sign up. It might never happen but it provides people with some peace of mind.

Our rivers and attenuation measures cope well with persistent heavy rain, however flash flooding is much more of an issue. When water levels rise quickly, getting a quick ‘heads-up’ can be hugely beneficial.

More information is available about how you can prepare for a flood.

Published 2 November 2015