Across East Sussex, our drainage teams work behind the scenes to keep the county moving, responding to flooding and maintaining drains to protect roads, homes and businesses.
Across East Sussex, our drainage teams play a vital yet often unseen role in keeping the county moving. Whenever heavy rain hits, we are the ones who respond to reports of flooding, unblock drains, clear ditches and repair damage to make sure our roads, homes, and businesses stay protected. Our work is essential, especially during the winter months when rainfall is at its worst and the risk of disruption is at its highest.
The county’s highway drainage system is made up of many different parts, all working together to manage surface water safely. Beneath the familiar metal gratings at the roadside are gullies—small chambers that collect rainwater and guide it into the underground network. Along rural roads, drainage ditches help carry water away from the carriageway and into nearby fields or streams. Deeper within the system, catch pits trap silt and debris before they can cause blockages, while long runs of pipes and lateral drains carry the water onwards. Access chambers allow teams to reach these hidden sections, and in coastal areas flap valves keep seawater from flowing back into the system during high tides.
Because all these components must work together, regular maintenance is key. Throughout the year our teams jet and clean gullies and pipes, remove silt and roots, repair damaged brickwork and adjust kerbs where water has begun to collect. Using CCTV surveys and specialist robotic cutters, they locate problems that often can’t be seen from the surface. Each visit, whether routine or urgent, helps keep water flowing where it should and reduces the chances of flooding after the next heavy downpour.
Recent work in places like Beales Lane in Northiam, Nevill Road in Uckfield, and North Road in Bodle Street Green shows how these efforts make a real difference to local communities. We installed new gullies, improved catch pits, upgraded access chambers, and cleared long‑standing blockages. These improvements help protect nearby homes, reduce road closures, and give residents confidence that the drainage infrastructure will cope when the weather turns.
Although much of this work happens quietly in the background, the impact is felt widely. Every cleared gully, every repaired pipe, and every strengthened ditch helps ensure that roads remain open, properties remain safe, and daily life can continue with as little disruption as possible.
Behind the scenes, 365 days a year, we are working to keep East Sussex safe, dry, and moving—whatever the weather brings.