Businesses around the UK would perhaps be wise to make sure that they’ve taken all the necessary precautions to protect themselves from future flood events, important given that climate change is expected to bring both increased drought and increased flooding to the UK – and we may already be seeing growing evidence of this, even now.
New research from the Living with Water Partnership and the University of Hull has found that more than a third of households are yet to take measures that could afford greater levels of protection from floods. For example, fewer than one in ten have an emergency flood kit and just six per cent have flood plans in place.
This is perhaps concerning to hear, given that the study also found that one in five households had to evacuate their properties during the floods in 2007, with 12 per cent unable to return within six months.
General manager of Living with Water and head of partnerships at Yorkshire Water Lee Pitcher commented: “There are some great tools available already to help at a household level that people might just not know exist like signing up to flood warnings, which were implemented after 2007.
“Other measures, such as developing a flood plan and preparing an emergency flood kit can also provide additional peace of mind should the worst happen.”
Flooding incidents can also have a big impact on local infrastructure, so from a business perspective it would be wise to carry out a risk assessment to ensure that your company can continue to operate, even if water supplies are disrupted.
According to the Committee on Climate Change, some 3.6 million homes and businesses currently face some kind of flood risk. But climate change could almost double those at significant risk of flooding by 2035 unless additional action to flood defences and protection measures is taken.
There are various ways in which you can reduce your reliance and mains water supplies, protecting your business’s interests in the event of a supply interruption.
You could, for example, consider alternative water resources such as rainwater. It’s relatively easy to set up a system whereby you can collect rainwater and use it for the likes of laundry and vehicle washing, toilet flushing and so on.
Grey water is also something you may want to look into, water that has been lightly used through the likes of showers and sinks. This can be used for vehicle washing, laundry and process water, and a lot more.
But it can be hard to know where to begin and it’s important to find out how and where your business uses water, which the team here at H2o Building Services can help with. Get in touch with us today to find out how
