Southern Water teams are working round the clock in xxxxxx to cope with the effects of xxday’s extreme rainfall.

??? inches of rain fell on ??? , which is more than the sewer network was designed to take. The system became overwhelmed, causing manholes to overflow, flooding homes/gardens/streets/.

With underground water levels higher than ever before, the company’s sewer network is working at capacity. Extra staff have been brought in and teams are working around the clock in difficult conditions.

Emergency pumps have been sending floodwater xxxxxx to protect homes from flooding. We are working to prevent any further flooding from the public sewer. It is our responsibility to arrange clean-up and remedial work.

We will:

• Carry out an initial external clean-up where possible within 12 hours for internal flooding and 24hours for external flooding. This includes removing excess liquid, cleaning debris, applying household disinfectant – this will remove all traces of bacteria within 24-48 hours
• Clear gardens of water and debris (Bacteria are best killed by natural exposure to the sunlight’s ultra violet radiation)
• Clean and disinfect hard surfaces such as paths and drives

The following precautions should be taken:

• Wash and treat footwear with a mild disinfectant
• Keep children and pets out of the contaminated area
• Wear rubber gloves when clearing up, look out for sharp objects
• Always wash your hands
• In the unlikely event of feeling unwell contact your GP
• Call an electrician to check flooded circuits or equipment

Concerned customers can call our contact centre on 0845 278 0845, but as we are currently experiencing high call volumes due to this incident, we ask that you only do so in the event of an emergency. For answers to some of the questions about sewer flooding, click here.