Flooding, road gullies and drainage
We maintain gullies and drainage channels on public roads and footways. Road gullies are connected by pipes to a carrier drain which carries the water to a suitable dispersion point. They are inspected and cleaned out regularly.
Occasionally gullies become blocked, or covers are broken or missing and require additional maintenance:
Gullies
You may see water in the gully (below the grating) but unless the water is overflowing onto the road it is unlikely to mean it is blocked. During periods of heavy or prolonged precipitation it may take some time for the drains to clear all the surface water. We can't guarantee to keep the road network free from puddles or flooding at all times.
Find out how to report a blocked gully to us.
Manhole covers
Most manhole covers are the responsibility of the public utilities and any issues with defective covers should be reported to them:
- Sewer covers, fire hydrants and stopcocks - Scottish Water
- Telecommunication covers - British Telecom
- Gas valve covers - British Gas
You can often recognise which utility company is responsible by identification letters on the cover. If you are unsure, contact our Roads team who will investigate and notify the appropriate utility company.
Flooding
The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, Section 99 states that it is an offence from property owners to allow any flow of water or other material to come from a property on to a public road or footpath.
However, the council is allowed to divert water from an adopted road on to private property. This may seem unfair, however it is to avoid dangerous situations with flooding or icy conditions for road users.
If you believe your home is in imminent danger of flooding due to conditions you should phone Police Scotland who can arrange for the emergency services and the council to take appropriate emergency action. View flooding emergency contacts.
Sandbags are available at our Roads depots for members of the public to collect for use and protect their property in flooding situations.
If your property has been at risk before, you must take action to prevent it happening again. You may discuss the options with our Flooding team.