LOOKING AFTER YOUR
HOME LOOKING AFTER
THE ENVIRONMENT

Make the most of this unique opportunity to build resilience against floods and water shortages in your area.

Using It, NOT
LOSING IT Is the idea!

Too much water isn’t the problem. Not using it effectively is.

An ariel picture of a rural village

Reclaim the Rain wants to reduce the risk of flooding and improve the water resilience in your community, but we can only do it with your help.

Nobody knows your home and community better than you, so we want to tap your in-depth local knowledge to help us come up with ideas and initiatives which will improve the water resilience in your village. By working together we can reduce the risk of damaging floods to your home and at the same time improve your local environment.

We live in a beautiful part of the UK, but it’s also the driest, receiving a third less rainfall than other parts of the country.

Our goal is to harness this water before it becomes a problem further down the line. When we can do that successfully, not only will we be able to protect homes and villages from flooding, we will be securing a water supply for our plants and gardens, drinking water for animals, irrigation for our crops as well as keeping streams, rivers ponds and lakes alive.

Reclaiming the rain is essential to protect ourselves now and in the future.

Want to get involved?

Becoming part of Reclaim the Rain is easy. Here’s how:

  • The more people we have working on Reclaim the Rain, the better. By collaborating with communities rather than individuals we have a far greater chance of achieving our goals, so tell your neighbours, your colleagues and anyone you see walking down the street and get them involved!

  • Once you have a team together who want to help make these changes, contact us and let us know you’re ready to go. We can then talk to you in depth about your community and what the next steps are.

  • It’s never too soon to start coming up with ideas. Use your local knowledge to start considering ways in which you can Reclaim the Rain. From waterbutts in gardens to largescale drainage systems, the more ideas we have, the better!

An older gentleman walking in the countryside

COUNTIES CONNECTING

Reclaim the Rain is a pioneering project set up by Suffolk County Council and Norfolk County Council working together.

It’s been funded to test new ways to reduce flooding in small, rural communities.

To begin with, Reclaim the Rain will connect with selected communities that have the potential to benefit from the scheme. Water users will work with the team contributing ideas and using their local knowledge to come up with ways to manage floodwater and find new uses for it.

Case studies which will be created from these initiatives will then be used to take the project to the next level, shaping policy that will guide water resilience at a local and national level.

What’s the danger?

Around 250,000 properties (8%) are at risk of flooding in the East of England.