As we start to work through the impacts of heavy rain and flooding in our communities, please be advised of the following guidance from the Isle of Wight Council:
Properties affected by flooding
Report any property flooding to the Environment Agency and contact your property insurance company for advice on removal of damaged property from your home.
Unused sandbags
Wherever possible, store full bags that have not come into contact with flood water in a dry shady place to use again if you need them in the future.
Sacking material is normally biodegradable and will perish if left in place for a long time. It is therefore advisable to empty sacks and keep them dry for re-use. Store the sand in your garden, or yard for future use. If you do not want to store the sand or the bags, once empty the bags can be placed in your normal household waste and the sand dug into the garden if you have one, or taken to your local Civic Amenity site.
Used sandbags
Sandbags tend to retain contaminants such as sewage and oils when they come into contact with floodwater. Ensure you wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly after handling.
If sandbags are contaminated by flood water you should take them to your local Civic Amenity Site (both have same day booking available) and inform the staff that they have been contaminated.
Where this is not possible you should seek advice from the council on 01983 823111 as to whether any other options are available to dispose of the sandbags. Do not place full sandbags or the sand in your household waste. Do not allow children to play with the sand or place it in sand pits due to the risks from possible contamination.
If in doubt, contact the council’s environmental health department on 01983 823000 for advice and the location of your nearest Civic Amenity Site.
How to know if they are contaminated
The following classification guide should be used to identify whether or not sandbags are contaminated.
Used sandbags are not classified as contaminated if:
- Used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had no or short term and limited exposer to sewage.
- Do not smell of sewage or oil.
- Shows no visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil.
Used sandbags are to be classified as contaminated if:
- Used to retain raw sewage.
- Used to protect / retain sources of oil.
- Used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had continual exposure to sewage or oils.
- Smells of sewage or oil.
- Shows visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil.
If there has been widespread flooding across the Island and large quantities of sandbags have been deployed, then the council may arrange for the collection of used sandbags from specific collection points.
If this is the case, then the council will provide details to the public on where and when collections will be undertaken.
Waste
Residents should speak with their insurers to see if they will cover waste disposal costs for a private waste carrier and should always should ensure their insurance are happy for them to start clearing the property.
Where possible, residents should use HWRC’s (free for householders to take their waste) or the Bulky Waste (£40 for up to 4 items).
In respect of uninsured persons, we will review requests for assistance on a case by case basis to ensure those who are vulnerable and in financial hardship are provided assistance.
Replacement Bins
Many properties will have lost bins in the floods – in these circumstances free black bins can be made available as well as usual recycling receptacles.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
