Understanding flood risk and knowing which risk management authorities are responsible for managing the different types of flood risk is important in enabling individuals and communities to become more resilient.
What is flood risk?
Flood Risk is a combination of the probability (likelihood or chance) of an event happening and the consequences (impact) if it occurred. Flood risk is dependent on there being a source of flooding, such as a river, a route for the flood water to take (pathway), and something that is affected by the flood (receptor), such as a property or business.
Who has responsibilities for managing flood risk?
There are a number of organisations with statutory responsibilities for managing flood risk in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT). Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA 2010) these organisations are known as Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) and all Risk Management Authorities have a duty to cooperate with each other and to share information to deliver more effective partnership flood risk management to the benefit of their communities. The Risk Management Authorities in Wales include:
Risk Management Authorities Overview
|
|
Welsh Government: Set strategic direction and objectives for flood risk management and prioritise flood risk management funding. Welsh Government also acts as a RMA in its duties as the highway authority for motorways and trunk roads.
|
|
Natural Resources Wales: General supervision and communication of flood risk management in Wales and responsible for managing flood risk from main rivers, their reservoirs, and the sea.
|
|
Local Authorities as Lead Local Flood Authorities and Highway Authorities: The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) has responsibilities and powers to manage flooding from local sources which include ordinary watercourses, surface water and groundwater.
Local Authorities also manage highway drainage as the Highway Authority.
|
|
Water Companies: Water and sewerage companies are responsible not only for the provision of water, but also for making appropriate arrangements for the drainage of foul water, the treatment of waste, and managing flooding from water and sewage systems.
|
The type of flood risk affects who is responsible for managing it – whether this is a Risk Management Authority or the land / property owner. For more information on the types of flooding and who to contact in the event of flooding, visit our page here.
An overview of the roles and responsibilities of Risk Management Authorities and land / property owners for managing different types of flood risk in RCT is detailed below:
Roles and Responsibilities
|
|
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (LLFA):
As the Lead Local Flood Authority for RCT, the Council has a duty to manage the risk of flooding from local sources (ordinary watercourses, surface water and groundwater).
|
|
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (Highway Authority):
As the Highway Authority for RCT, the Council is responsible for managing surface water on the highway (excluding motorways and major trunk roads).
|
|
Natural Resources Wales (NRW):
Responsible for the management of flooding from main rivers, their reservoirs, and the sea.
|
|
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW):
As the water and sewerage undertaker for RCT, DCWW is responsible for managing sewer flooding.
|
|
South Wales Trunk Road Agency (SWTRA):
Responsible for managing surface water on motorways and major trunk roads.
|
|
Riparian Landowner:
Watercourse owners, or riparian owners, have a responsibility to maintain ordinary watercourses that run adjacent to, through or under their property. This applies to all types of watercourses including ditches, streams, and culverts.
|
|
Property Owners:
No statutory duties but property owners are responsible for protecting their own properties against flooding as well as maintaining their private drainage infrastructure.
|
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) as designated by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.As defined in the Act, RCTCBC is responsible for managing local flood risk, which includes:
- Surface water
- Ground water
- Ordinary watercourses
Our statutory duties and powers as LLFA include but are not limited to:
- A duty to develop, maintain, apply, and monitor a strategy for local flood risk
- management in its area
- A duty to comply with the National Strategy
- A duty to investigate all flooding within its area, as far as a LLFA consider it necessary or appropriate
- A duty to maintain a register of structures and features likely to affect flood risk
- Consenting and enforcement powers on ordinary watercourses
For a full list of the LLFA’s statutory duties and permissive powers, please refer to Section 5.4.2 of our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council as the Highway Authority have the lead responsibility for ensuring the roads and highways (excluding motorways and major trunk roads) within its area are clear of obstructions and to manage and maintain the surface water drainage infrastructure to drain surface water from the highway.
As part of their duty, they are responsible for carrying out routine and reactive works to ensure highway drainage systems are working to maximum capacity.
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council as SuDS Adopting and Approving Body (SAB)
Lead Local Flood Authorities’ in Wales also take on the role of the SuDS Adopting and Approving Body (SAB) in relation to sustainable drainage systems. In this role they have a duty to ensure surface water drainage for new developments with drainage implications is built and functions in accordance with mandatory National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) prior to construction work taking place. You can learn more about SuDS and the SAB here.
Natural Resources Wales are the Risk Management Authority with responsibilities for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers and the sea, and for regulating the safety of reservoirs. Natural Resources Wales also has a wider oversight role for all flood and coastal erosion risk management in Wales.
Natural Resources Wales’s statutory duties and permissive powers include:
- Reporting to the Minister on flood and coastal erosion risk in Wales including the application of the National Strategy.
- Forecasting, warning, and informing on potential and actual flooding from all sources of flooding in collaboration with Met Office partners
- Powers to designate certain structures or features that affect flood or coastal erosion risk.
For more information on Natural Resources Wales’s role and responsibilities as a Risk Management Authority, please refer to Section 5.4.1 of our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
You can visit the Natural Resources Wales website for further information
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) is the regional water and sewerage treatment company serving Rhondda Cynon Taf and as a Risk Management Authority are responsible not only for the provision of water, but also for making appropriate arrangements for the drainage of foul water, the treatment of waste, surface water sewers and combined sewers. They have primary responsibility for floods from water and sewerage systems, which can include sewer flooding, burst pipes, or water mains or floods caused by system failures.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water statutory duties include:
- A duty to act consistently with the National Strategy
- A duty to have regard to the content of the relevant Local Strategy.
- Co-operation with other Authorities, including sharing data.
For more information on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water's role and responsibilities as a Risk Management Authority, please refer to Section 5.4.3 of our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
You can visit Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s website for further information
The South Wales Truck Road Agency are responsible for the network of trunk roads acting on behalf of the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government has a responsibility for managing flood risk on motorways and major trunk road drainage under the Highways Act, section 100. The Trunk Road Agency must ensure that any road projects do not increase flood risk and road discharges do not pollute receiving waterbodies.
You can visit Traffic Wales for further information on the South Wales Trunk Road Agency.
If you own land or property located adjacent to or abutting a waterway (watercourse, stream, ditch) then in legal terms you are a Riparian Owner and have certain rights and responsibilities under common law. Riparian Landowners are legally responsible under common law for the maintenance of the land up to the centreline of any watercourse adjacent to their property. This includes the maintenance of the bed, banks, and any boundary features.
Residents, property, and business owners are responsible for the protection of their own properties against flooding as well as maintaining private surface water drainage infrastructure such as guttering and soakaways. Residents have the right to defend their property as long as they do not subsequently increase the risk of flooding to other properties.
Residents, property, and business owners are advised to review their personal flood preparedness to ensure that they are as prepared as possible for any flooding event. You can learn how to be more prepared for flooding on our dedicated Flood Awareness and Preparedness pages.