Addressing flooding

Every summer we experience heavy rainfall a few times. This causes a lot of inconvenience. The month of June has become notorious for the heavy showers that can fall then. We must learn to deal with this. It seems that the showers have become increasingly intense over the years. It is not always possible to drain all that water so quickly that there is no nuisance. Therefore, you yourself must also be aware of it and take your measures if necessary. Especially if you have experienced nuisance in the past. The municipality takes measures, and you can also do a lot yourself. And so together we reduce the nuisance that arises.

What does the municipality do

Addressing flooding

We are implementing a large package of measures. You can read more about this at projects tackling flooding. We hope to be able to prevent flooding in the future. The municipality has Map all nuisance situations and problems with the help of the consultancy firm lv-Infra. A large package of measures was drawn up in consultation with residents. A number of bottlenecks have already been addressed. However, it is impossible to adapt the entire sewer system so that extreme rainfall can be handled without inconvenience. Water on the street remains unavoidable in these kinds of situations for the time being. The sewer system in our municipality, like most sewers in the Netherlands, is simply not capable of discharging such huge amounts of water in a short period of time. The systems are not designed for this.

Why is there flooding

Over the past 100 years, the township's sewer system has been constructed piecemeal. Each time, those pieces were designed based on the climate data known at the time. The climatic situation seems to have changed rapidly in recent decades. It is not possible to adapt the entire sewer system to that just as quickly. However, we are working on it. But the measures we have to take are costly and require long preparation. As a result, it is almost impossible to prevent inconvenience here and there in the coming years.  

Municipal Sewerage Plan

We are constantly carrying out renewals and improvements to the system. We clean and inspect nearly 11 kilometers of sewers every year. Where necessary, we make repairs. All pumps and overflow pits are also cleaned and inspected several times a year. There are nearly 16,000 gullies (drains). They are all cleaned several times a year. By regularly brushing the gutters, we prevent the gullies and sewer from fouling. In the Municipal Sewer Plan GRP you can read what we do and what it costs (and generates).

Relevant links

What can you do?

Water enters the house via ground level

This happens when, for example, the terrace or street is flooded. Homes with a small elevation difference from the road are vulnerable. In some cases, the feed level of the house is below the level of the road. Basements and underground garages are also very vulnerable. This vulnerability is virtually impossible to resolve. Health for bulkheads, sandbags, change the elevation and drainage of the patio, purchase a pump to pump water out of basements quickly and create a lowering in your yard to drain the water to.

Water enters home through toilet bowl or scrub pit

This often occurs during sudden, heavy rainfall. Because of the speed at which the water comes, the air cannot escape from the house sewer. Normally, the air escapes through the downspout. But because of the large amount of water and the speed at which it comes, this is not possible. An air bubble gets trapped and looks for an escape point. This is often a scrub drain or a toilet bowl. The air splashes out there, creating a siphoning effect that attracts roof water and water from the sewer pipes. The pressure in the downspout sometimes causes the water to spray up to the ceiling. This can all be prevented by keeping the house sewer venting in good order. And install a relief manhole, at the front and back of the house. Then the bubble and water pressure can escape outside your home. See Folder Aeration and Flooding in the Home for more information.

Water on the street what (not) to do

Do

  • Help your fellow man where needed;
  • Stay indoors and keep children and pets indoors as well;
  • At most, take to the streets on foot, stay on the sidewalks and watch out for open pits;
  • Call the municipality in case of damage or dangerous situations on public roads;
  • Sweep away debris at street drains to allow water to drain.

Don't

  • Never pull open a manhole cover when the street is flooded! Do not try to close an open manhole cover yourself if there is still water on the street. You are putting yourself and others in danger. Someone who ends up in such a manhole at that moment for whatever reason will never get out. And then you could face criminal charges. Call the municipality if a manhole cover is open;
  • Do not take your car or bicycle onto the road when it is flooded. After all, you cannot easily see where you are driving;
  • A car driving through the water causes wave action that damages homes. The residents of adjacent homes do not take kindly to you;
  • Water left on the street contains pathogenic bacteria. You can get very sick from it. The same goes for your dog! So don't go swimming in it!