A new project will help to manage groundwater flooding in at-risk communities around Bucks.

Developed by Buckinghamshire Council, Project Groundwater for the Chiltern Hills and Berkshire Downs will provide management techniques and information to rural areas affected by groundwater flooding.

The phenomenon, which occurs when too much water gathers underground and causes the water table to rise upwards, can damage roads and properties and overwhelm sewage and drainage networks.

Project Groundwater will work alongside communities across nine areas in the Chiltern Hills and Berkshire Downs at a high risk of flooding to ensure residents are well-informed and prepared for floods in their area.

These areas are particularly vulnerable to groundwater flooding due to their underlying chalk and gravel aquifers.

The project's findings will also contribute to the developing national understanding of groundwater flood management. 

Jilly Jordan, Deputy Cabinet Minister for Environment, said: “Flood risk and adaptation has perhaps never been so well funded in the UK, yet flooding from groundwater is poorly understood, barely monitored, often unanticipated and very difficult to deal with.

“It can be hugely devastating because it can last for long periods but it never draws significant attention or funding as it affects predominantly more rural communities. Project Groundwater is here to ensure that people have the information and support available to be resilient in the face of groundwater flooding.”

In a recent survey, 89 per cent of those polled said they wanted additional support to manage flooding on a local level, as well as more information about cost-effective solutions and community impact.

A further 94% of those surveyed said they were concerned about the effects of groundwater flooding in their area.

Project Groundwater is being funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of their £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency, designed to drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.

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