House by a canal - surface water

thebullettrain

Hi, I'm looking at a house next to a canal: the house abuts it. The gov website shows a high risk (3.3%) of surface water flooding.

Further research suggests this is actually a canal water risk. The worse case shows 30mm close to the house and covering parts of the garden on the slope. However, the more likely option is higher water (less than 1 metre) right on the bank of the garden on the canal.

Any thoughts on this and have I got this risk right? Some say canals don't flood, however clearly they can given the govt projections.

JamboJambo

You should be able to work out where on the canal system the house is, and if the lock nearest goes to lower water levels. If the level of the canal rises above the lock gates the water simply heads down the canal rather than over the sides. The Canal and River's Trust will have data on what has happened recently in regards to the canal water levels, but flooding near canals are usually the result of other factors rather the canal water rising above the sides of the canal banks.

There are of course instances of the canal banks failing in areas where the canal is above the level of the surrounding land, but these are very rare and extremely unusual.

Section62

Any thoughts on this and have I got this risk right? Some say canals
don't flood, however clearly they can given the govt projections.

The water level in canals is usually managed, but like any watercourse it is possible for extreme rainfall to cause flooding, and it is also possible the system for managing water levels fails - e.g. someone forgetting to close/open a sluice.

Some canals are just canalised rivers, which gives another set of circumstances to consider.

born_again

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/water-safety-during-flooding#:~:text=If%20a%20canal%20and%20towpath,your%20local%20canal%20or%20river

They can flood.

I would also check house insurance costs, as well as your mortgage lender, as some will not lend if close to water, due to flood risk.

Ditzy_Mitzy

Worth checking, also, for flies and mosquitoes. A friend lives near a body of water and the surrounding land is full of the things, to the extent that she constantly gets flies in the house if windows are open. It's certainly not a lifestyle issue as the house is clean and there were no such problems at her previous address.

ProDave

You mention sloping garden.

The garden adjacent to the canal might well flood, but if there is nothing there but garden, that is trivial.

If the garden slopes up towards the house and the house is a good bit higher than the canal the risk of the house flooding is very much less.

Ask the vendor "has the house EVER flooded to your knowledge" (specifically house not garden)

propertyrental

• is it a pure canal or navigable/canalised river?
• How much higher than the water level is the property (not the garden?)
• Going 'upstream', how near/far is the 1st lock? This is where excess water migh originate. If it's a long way, rising water level is more unlikely
• Going 'downstream', how near/far is the 1st lock? This is where excess water will flow over the lock gates thus minimising the risk of flooding
• which side of the canal is higher ie if the water level did rise, would the water flow towards the property or out of the canal the other side?
• Have you used a comparison site to get insurance quotes? Did most insurers quote or did many refuse to quote? Were the quotes reasonable?
• have you checked the local paper, google, the postman, for information about previous flooding?
• what length of narrowboat are you buying?