Water Management — Surface Water & Groundwater Management in East Sussex & Kent
Water management is the controlled handling of surface water and groundwater on your land — intercepting it, storing it, conveying it, and releasing it safely. As water management contractors based in Battle, East Sussex, we design and install water management systems for landowners, developers, and farmers across Kent and East Sussex. We own our own excavators and plant, so we handle the full process from assessment and design through to installation.
On the heavy Wealden clay of Kent and East Sussex, water management is a constant challenge. Clay soils hold water rather than letting it drain, so after heavy rain — increasingly common in the South East — surface water accumulates, fields flood, and groundwater rises. A well-designed water management system intercepts and controls this water, keeping land, property, and development sites dry and usable.
Why Land Needs Water Management
Surface water flooding is the most common water management problem. When rain falls faster than the ground can absorb it — on clay soils, compacted ground, or hard surfaces — water runs across the surface, collecting in low spots, flooding fields, gardens, and properties. Climate change is making extreme rainfall events more frequent, increasing surface water flood risk across the South East.
Groundwater flooding affects low-lying land and the base of slopes, where the water table rises above ground level and water seeps out of the ground. On the Wealden clay and in the river valleys of the Rother, Brede, Cuckmere, and Ouse, groundwater flooding can persist for weeks or months, waterlogging land and damaging property.
Development sites need formal water management. Planning conditions typically require SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) for surface water management, with attenuation, infiltration, or controlled discharge to a watercourse or sewer. Getting water management right is essential for planning approval and for protecting the development from flooding.
Our Water Management Services
We design and install surface water management systems — land drainage, French drains, swales, and surface water drainage channels — to intercept and convey surface water to a controlled outfall. On clay soils where infiltration isn't possible, we install attenuation systems that store water and release it slowly, preventing downstream flooding.
For groundwater management, we install land drainage and underdrainage to lower the water table and keep land dry. We also carry out ditch clearance and watercourse maintenance to ensure water can discharge freely, and we construct attenuation ponds and wetlands that provide storage and biodiversity value as part of the water management system.
For development sites, we design and install SuDS — soakaways, infiltration trenches, attenuation tanks, swales, permeable paving sub-bases, and retention ponds — to meet planning conditions for surface water management. All water management work is carried out with our own plant. We're based in Battle, East Sussex and cover all of Kent and East Sussex. Call us on 07376 622637 for a free water management quote.
Services That Solve This Problem
Related Problems We Solve
Frequently Asked Questions
What is water management?
Water management is the controlled handling of surface water and groundwater — intercepting, storing, conveying, and releasing it safely. It includes land drainage, SuDS, attenuation, ditch clearance, and watercourse maintenance. We design and install water management systems across Kent and East Sussex.
What is the difference between surface water and groundwater flooding?
Surface water flooding happens when rain can't soak into the ground and runs across the surface. Groundwater flooding happens when the water table rises above ground level and water seeps out. Both cause waterlogging and flooding, and both need different management approaches — surface drainage for surface water, land drainage and underdrainage for groundwater.
Do you install SuDS for development sites?
Yes. We design and install the full range of SuDS components — soakaways, infiltration trenches, attenuation tanks, swales, permeable paving sub-bases, and retention ponds — to meet planning conditions for surface water management on development sites across Kent and East Sussex.
How do you manage water on clay soil?
On heavy Wealden clay, infiltration-based systems don't work because the clay is too impermeable. We use attenuation systems that store water and release it slowly to a watercourse, plus land drainage and ditch networks to convey water away. We design the right approach for your soil and site.
Need Help With This Problem?
Call us for a free quote. Based in Battle, East Sussex — covering Kent and East Sussex. We respond within 24 hours.