Flood
The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 defines a flood as ‘…any case where land not normally covered by water becomes covered by water.’
Causes of flooding include:
- Heavy rainfall.
- A river overflowing or its banks being breached.
- A dam overflowing or being breached.
- Tidal waters.
- Groundwaters.
It does not include:
- A flood from any part of a sewerage system, unless wholly or partly caused by an increase in the volume of rainwater (including snow and other precipitation) entering or otherwise affecting the system.
- A flood caused by a burst water main (within the meaning given by section 219 of the Water Industry Act 1991).
Floods may have a harmful consequences on:
- Human health.
- The social and economic welfare of individuals and communities.
- Infrastructure.
- The environment (including cultural heritage).
[edit] Articles about flooding on Designing Buildings include:
- Active resistance measures.
- Amphibious construction.
- Applying flood resilience technologies GG 84.
- Aquifer.
- BRE flood resilient repair project.
- BREEAM Flood risk management.
- BREEAM Surface water run-off.
- Building flood resilience.
- Catchment flood management plan.
- Changing attitudes to property flood resilience in the UK.
- Coastal defences.
- Dam construction.
- Dyke.
- Elevated construction.
- Environment Agency.
- Fighting flooding in the 21st century.
- Flash flood.
- Flood and Water Management Act.
- Flood defences.
- Flood Insurance.
- Flood level.
- Flood mapping key to future development in Wales.
- Flood plain.
- FloodRe.
- Flood recoverability.
- Flood resilience.
- Flood resistance.
- Flood resilient house.
- Flood risk assessment.
- Flood risk.
- Flood Risk Framework.
- Flood risk management plan.
- Floodscape.
- Flood warning system.
- Floodwater.
- Flood zone.
- Future flood prevention.
- Future Water, The Government’s water strategy for England.
- Groundwater control in urban areas.
- Groundwater.
- Leeds flood defences.
- Levee.
- Natural flood management.
- Pitt Review Lessons learned from the 2007 floods.
- Planning for floods.
- Priorities for Wales during COVID-19 economic recovery.
- Property flood resilience.
- Pumps and dewatering equipment.
- Relief well.
- River engineering.
- Submersible bridge.
- Sustainable urban drainage systems.
- Temporary flood defences.
- Ten years on - Lessons from the Flood on building resilience.
- Types of flood.
- Thames barrier.
- Tsunami.
- Water engineering.
- Water table.
- Workplace design – flood protection.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Guide to ISO 19650 for Architecture Firms (2026)
A user gives their low down.
A UK training and membership provider for mould remediation professionals.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
Independent NSI and BAFE study exploring how organisations are changing the way they buy fire safety services.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.


















