Internal Drainage Boards
Water Bill, Glossary: water terms, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in November 2013, describes Internal Drainage Boards (IDB) as: ‘Independent statutory bodies responsible for land drainage in areas of special drainage need that extend to 1.2 million hectares of lowland England. They operate predominantly under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and have permissive powers to undertake work to secure drainage and water level management of their districts.’
The National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England, Glossary, published by the Environment Agency in 2020, defines an Internal drainage board as: ‘A public body that manages water levels in an area, known as an internal drainage district. IDBs undertake works to reduce flood risk to people and property, and manage water levels for agricultural and environmental needs within their district.’
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