When something is wrong
Emergency numbers, who to call locally, how to report flooding or a blocked drain, and how to reach the person who runs this site. Save this page on your phone.
Emergency contacts
Call immediately if flood water is putting life at risk.
Call 999 (life threatening)24/7 flood information and advice.
Report problems
Roadside drains (gullies) belong to Oxfordshire County Council. They clean them on a programme and, in their own words, prioritise high flood-risk areas — so every Bampton report that mentions Storm Bert moves the village up that list. The button opens the council's report form with the map already on Bampton. Three steps: drag the pin onto the drain, choose Drainage and Flooding → Blocked Drain / Gullyfrom the category list, then add a photo and paste one of the texts below.
Report a blocked drain (opens the map on Bampton)Blocked roadside gully outside [number] [Road], Bampton OX18. Grate is silted/leaf-covered and does not drain. This road flooded during Storm Bert (Nov 2024) and Bampton is a known surface-water flood area — please add to the gully cleansing programme as a flood-risk priority rather than routine. Photo attached.
Gully outside [number] [Road], Bampton OX18 is surcharging — water coming UP through the grate during rain, ponding across the road/pavement. Indicates the pipe below is blocked or over capacity, not the grate. If this is Thames Water's surface-water sewer, please pass it to them and confirm the reference so residents can follow up directly. Photo/video attached.
Repeat of FixMyStreet ref [XXXXXXX], reported [date]. Same gully at [number] [Road], Bampton OX18, still blocked/surcharging after rain on [date]. Bampton flooded to record levels in Storm Bert; this drain feeds the streets that went under. Please confirm the inspection date and which authority (OCC Highways or Thames Water) owns the fix.
If the council reply “Thames Water sewer”: the grate is theirs, the pipe under it is usually Thames Water's. Ring 0800 316 9800 (option 2, then 2), quote your FixMyStreet reference, and ask for a job number.
Cllr Gary Sone on the Parish Council is a FixMyStreet super user — if a report stalls, his number is in Local contacts below.
Oxfordshire County Council is the lead flood authority. Their form is not for emergencies (they answer within about 21 days) — but enough reports from one street can trigger a formal investigation, which is how the Storm Bert report came to exist.
Report a flood to the county (opens the form)Enough Bampton households reported flooding on 24 November 2024 to trigger a formal Section 19 investigation. Oxfordshire County Council published its findings and recommendations on 1 June 2026. This is the official account of what happened and what was recommended — worth reading before any meeting about flooding here.
Contact the flood monitor
A Bampton resident, not an agency. Blocked trash screen, water somewhere it shouldn't be, a gauge reading that looks wrong, or you want on the alerts list — email and it reaches a person.
Email [email protected]Sandbags
Free sandbags during flood alerts. West Oxfordshire District Council lists the Bampton point as the Fire Station, accessed by the lane at the side of it.
Tip: Bring your own vehicle and shovel. Sandbags may need to be filled.
Local contacts
Useful resources
Members of the flood group
Flood group observation log
For invited members of the Bampton & District Flood Prevention Group. To join, speak to the group.
Community project, not affiliated with the Environment Agency or local councils. For official flood warnings, always check gov.uk/check-flooding.