Report a drainage problem

If you think the issue is an emergency please call us on 0345 60 80 193.

If it is not an emergency you can report a drainage problem easily online.

We will need a description and details of the location and size of the problem. 

The East Sussex highway drainage network consists of 98,000 roadside drainage gullies, connected by a system of pipes that eventually outfall into watercourses (rivers, streams, ditches and the sea).

We clean all roadside drainage gullies at least once every three years.

We can carry out additional visits or works if:

  • The drainage system is causing flooding to the highway and/or third-party property
  • Iron work is missing or broken
  • There is a difference in cover level to the road

Please note some drainage systems and covers are the responsibility of Southern Water and South East Water.

Report online

Supporting an asset management approach

The Council is committed to having the best highway condition for the investment available, and supports an asset management based approach for the maintenance of the network. This means that East Sussex Highways follows the nationally adopted Highway Asset Management Policy, Strategy and Plans which looks at the overall condition of the network from further decline.

We also have to consider what is the best use of our resources, as it is more cost effective to invest some of our funding in preventative maintenance and larger scale repairs that reduce the chance of problems occurring in the first place.

You can find out more about the council's asset management policies and strategies here.