As tidal rivers in the low-lying East of England, the Norfolk Broads are heavily impacted when flooding hits – and Hickling, a village on the edge of Hickling Broad, is particularly vulnerable. Severe instances of flooding have been recorded in Hickling since as early as the thirteenth century, so this is not a new problem for the community, but it is one that’s becoming increasingly pressing against the backdrop of a changing climate.  
 
The record rainfall levels seen throughout the winter of 2023/4 overwhelmed both foul and surface water networks, meaning some residents weren’t able to use their own toilets and showers. But beyond that, the weather was so wet that even several months later, Hickling’s water table remains far higher than usual – meaning local people are facing another winter of floods. 
 
Flooding is often an extremely complex issue with many different organisations involved. In Hickling, these organisations include Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, the Broads Internal Drainage Board and local authorities from county to parish level – and home and business owners also have a part to play. No one organisation has complete oversight of flooding, or the drainage network, meaning that significant improvements aren’t possible without cross-sector collaboration. That’s where the Hickling Working Group comes in. 
 
Building on the burgeoning success of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance (NSFA), which was established in the wake of devastating floods during the Beast from the East storm in winter 2021, the Hickling Working Group has brought all the relevant authorities into one room to cut through the red tape that currently surrounds flooding. 
 
Importantly, the Hickling Working Group’s success has been driven by the village’s residents and parish council. In an effort to prepare the village for another wet winter, people in Hickling have worked to clear culverts and ditches, maintain pipework, and remove surface water from the foul sewer network.  
 
The Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Board have also got stuck in, working together on embankment repairs worth £170,000, which will protect the village from flooding. This kind of partnership working helps stop the gaps between different organisations’ responsibilities, and also offers new opportunities for innovation and further improvement: during the work on the embankments, the partnership also worked with Norfolk Rivers Trust to protect the nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest. 
 
Anglian Water has also carried out a full survey of its sewers, which identified several issues that are now being addressed. These include a collapsed culvert, which has been repaired, and a pub with a drainpipe misconnection from its roof, which has now been disconnected. This was allowing rainwater to flow directly into the sewer, taking up vital space. Engineers have also installed non-return valves at three properties.  
 
Misconnections have proved to be a significant contributor to the village’s flooding problems – a catchment survey has shown that more than a third of the catchment is misconnected to the surface water network. This is where downpipes from homes or the highways road drains have been wrongly connected to the foul sewer, reducing its capacity and ultimately causing flooding. The amount of rain that runs off from an average roof can be equivalent to the foul sewage produced from 100 homes, so it’s easy to see why this excess water can cause such a problem. 
 
The surveys also highlighted points where groundwater was infiltrating the sewer system. Infiltration is an often misunderstood, but a common cause of flooding. Sewers are simply not designed to be completely sealed systems, and when extreme rainfall combines with saturated ground, excess water gets into our sewer network through minute holes, cracks and joins, resulting the pipes becoming overwhelmed and causing flooding.  
 
With all sewers having now been relined, the team is confident that there is no infiltration happening – but staying engaged with the local community will be key to maintaining this. As a result, Anglian Water is frequently attending parish council meetings, and is proposing funding for 50 sustainable drainage system (SuDS) pods, which will help residents better manage excess surface water at their properties. 
 
All this work is just the start. Responding to flooding is an iterative process, with each year’s rainfall bringing new challenges, and the scale of the challenge is huge. But multi-agency approaches such as the Hickling Working Group and the NSFA are delivering new, innovative ideas at a previously unimaginable pace. It’s clear that, to tackle flooding effectively, working together is crucial.