Wolverhampton has 35,830 gullies which are cleaned out periodically - usually once or twice a year. Areas known to receive larger amounts of sediment are cleaned more regularly. We are responsible for repairing gullies and cleaning them out to help prevent blockages in the gully and subsequent flooding when it rains heavily.
Gullies are situated in the gutter of the highway and are covered by an open, cast iron grid. Gullies take surface water from the road into the main drain which is maintained by Severn Trent Water. The gully acts as a 'catch' to prevent any sediment and debris from being carried into the main drain. And like your toilet, the water pot in the gully prevents bad smells feeding back from the main drain.
A very important feature of road construction is drainage. New roads include designed drainage systems intended to remove water efficiently from the surface of the highway to provide a safe passage for all vehicles and pedestrians. Older roads may have less sophisticated drainage, but all have features designed to take the water away from the road surface. It is necessary to clean and maintain these drainage provisions so that they can work properly.
The Map16 remote monitoring system was installed in late 2024 on 192 critical gullies where there has been historic flooding, or where flooding would cause significant disruption. Sensor data provides early warning of possible flooding, blockages, and surcharging at these locations, allowing cleansing and operational responses to be targeted.
If you see sewerage feeding back into the gully or onto the highway you should contact Severn Trent.
Problems can occur even when drainage provisions are clean and well maintained. Flooded and waterlogged roads result when the amount of water arriving on the road is greater than the capacity of the drainage facilities that take it away.
Exceptional rainfall, a road being in a low-lying area, changes in 'run off' from adjacent fields and rivers overflowing are some situations that can lead to the road flooding or being waterlogged even when drains are in good working order.
Material carried into the drains by floods can also lead to them becoming blocked. Drainage grills and gratings for example on gullies, can become blocked very quickly when debris are deposited on the road or when there is a heavy fall of leaves.
If a flooded road is caused by a ruptured water main the water company will be responsible for repairing the damage.
To report flooding on the public highway or reporting blocked road gullies or grating, please report by using our Love Clean Streets app.
Lead local flood authorities have the lead operational role in managing the risk of flooding from surface water and groundwater.
If highway flooding occurs out of hours (after 3:00pm) please call the CWC Out of Hours emergency number to report the incident and location on 01902 552999.
For more information click here What to do during flooding
The local water supply company for Wolverhampton is Severn Trent Water. They can be contacted on Freephone 0800 783 4444. The water company is responsible for their supply up to and including the water stopcock.
The water company own and manage the network of public foul and surface water sewers.
To report an overflowing public sewer, you should contact Severn Trent Plc or phone Freephone 0800 783 4444.
The majority of public sewers are located under public highways, roads, and footpaths. The Council has a copy of the sewer maps, which can be viewed at:
City of Wolverhampton Council
Reactive Highway Maintenance
Qualcast Road Depot
Qualcast Road
Lower Horseley Fields
Wolverhampton
WV1 2QP
You can also request sewer maps direct from Severn Trent - Request a water or sewer map
- If your private drains or sewers are overflowing, you will need a drainage contractor to deal with any blockage.
- If you are uncertain if any blockage is in the public or private sewers, the water company should be able to determine this, once on site, then recharge you the cost of any work on the private sewers.
- Flooding from a water service pipe or internal pipework
- This is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord and would need the attention of a plumber.
The main rivers are the responsibility of the Environment Agency. Telephone: 0845 933 3111.
The Environment Agency provide a Floodline which is a 24-hour advice and information service for floods and flood warnings on 0345 988 1188.
For Floodline Type talk (for the hard of hearing) call 0345 602 6340.
Environment Agency Environment incident hotline 0800 80 70 60.
Report an environmental problem
How you report an environmental problem depends on what the problem is.
Environmental problems can include:
- water pollution
- flooding
- smells
- damage to nature
- illegal fishing
- a collapsed riverbank
Check if you live near a major river - Environment Agency Statutory River Map
The main 'rivers' in Wolverhampton are:
- Smestow Brook
- River Tame (Bilston Brook)
Watercourses, other than main rivers, are the responsibility of riparian owners.
You are a riparian owner if your property or land is on, or very near, a watercourse. Riparian owners have a duty to keep the watercourse clear of any obstruction to flow and the Council can serve legal notices on riparian owners to deal with obstructions.
Certain strategic watercourses, that are known to pose a high risk of property flooding if they become blocked, are checked and maintained by the council's contractor on a regular basis.
Water is directed to drains by the road profile. Puddles (ponding) tend to occur if there is a depression in the road. This can be rectified where necessary by local patching of the road surface or provision of an additional highway drain.
Met Office email alerts - Here you can sign up to email updates from the Met Office including those regarding severe weather warnings and news releases.
Check for Flooding in Wolverhampton
Get flood warnings by text, phone or email - Use this service to get flood warnings from the Environment Agency if your home or organisation in England is at risk of flooding. This service is free.
Protecting your property from flooding - The Met Office have outlined a number of things you can do to prepare for flooding to keep yourself and your family safe.
Flood Mary - Home protection options - Flood Mary has helpful tips for making your Home Flood Ready and informs you of home protection options. Download a directory of property flood resilience products and measures.
Check Long term flood risk - Use this GOV.UK service to find out:
- The long term flood risk for an area in England
- How climate change might increase the chance of flooding in an area
- The possible causes of flooding
- How to manage flood risk
Request a flood history report from The Environment Agency
WeatherReady - The Met Office has provided seasonal advice to help you prepare for and respond to the weather, to stay safe and protect yourself, your homes and businesses.
Related legislation - Flood and Water Management Act 2010
Section 19 of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA) requires that the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) undertake an investigation (to the extent that it considers it necessary or appropriate) upon becoming aware of flooding in its area.
Staffordshire County Council's flood team work in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council in delivering Lead Local Flood Authority responsibilities.
Related legislation - Flood and Water Management Act 2010
A Section 19 flood investigation report is a public statement of the circumstances of a flood event, which establishes the responsible authorities risk management authorities - GOV.UK as well as the functions they have exercised, or propose to exercise as the result of the flooding event.
A Section 19 flood investigation report must determine
- the source of the flooding
- the flood risk management functions of the RMAs
- what actions were taken or will be taken by the RMAs
Not all flooding that is reported to and investigated by us, requires a Section 19 report to be commissioned and published.
When investigating a flood, we only publish a Section 19 report when:
- 5 or more residential properties flooded within a specified area, settlement or catchment
- 2 or more commercial properties flooded within a specified area, settlement or catchment
- fewer than 5 residential or 2 commercial properties flooded where flooding lasts longer than one week
- fewer than 5 residential or 2 commercial properties flooded on 2 or more occasions within 2 years
If highway flooding occurs out of hours, please call the CWC Out of Hours emergency number to report the incident and location on 01902 552999.
Flooding can also be reported using the below link:
Always report flooding, even if you do not think that the flooding is sufficient to reach Section 19 criteria, as the City of Wolverhampton Council will undertake the appropriate investigation and corrective action to minimise the likelihood of flooding reoccurring.
If you have experienced a flooding event, please complete an online Flooding Questionnaire:
Please complete all fields of the Flooding Questionnaire. Remember to provide the exact location and images of the flooding event to assist with our investigations.
All Section 19 reports undertaken by us are published as PDFs on this page and are freely available for download. In the instance that no Section 19 reports are available for download, then this indicates that we have not undertaken any Section 19 reports at the time of reading.