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| Floods 'will push up water bills' | Floods 'will push up water bills' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Water bills will have to rise as a response to the floods, the head of the Environment Agency has told the BBC. | Water bills will have to rise as a response to the floods, the head of the Environment Agency has told the BBC. |
| Baroness Young said that utility firms and local authorities had a duty to improve antiquated drainage systems to prevent future disasters. | Baroness Young said that utility firms and local authorities had a duty to improve antiquated drainage systems to prevent future disasters. |
| Her comments came as some areas faced the risk of more flooding with further heavy rain predicted overnight. | |
| Around 130,000 homes in Gloucestershire are still without running water and the situation is likely to last for days. | Around 130,000 homes in Gloucestershire are still without running water and the situation is likely to last for days. |
| Baroness Young told the BBC News website that public bodies and firms providing essential services had to think about climate change and adapting the infrastructure. | Baroness Young told the BBC News website that public bodies and firms providing essential services had to think about climate change and adapting the infrastructure. |
| Bodies owning "sensitive installations" such as power stations should make them "more robust", she added. | Bodies owning "sensitive installations" such as power stations should make them "more robust", she added. |
| Heavy rain is forecast for Saturday night and Sunday, bringing the possibility of more flooding across England and Wales. | |
| Everybody who provides a service has got to think about climate change Baroness YoungEnvironment Agency chief Tonight's weather - BBC Weather Centre | Everybody who provides a service has got to think about climate change Baroness YoungEnvironment Agency chief Tonight's weather - BBC Weather Centre |
| The Environment Agency chief executive said the water firms' responsibility, which would effect bill rises was a "small part" of an overall strategy to protect against future climate change events. | The Environment Agency chief executive said the water firms' responsibility, which would effect bill rises was a "small part" of an overall strategy to protect against future climate change events. |
| We had seen very heavy rainfall and "more and more flash flooding" and bodies and housing developers must take this into consideration, she said. | We had seen very heavy rainfall and "more and more flash flooding" and bodies and housing developers must take this into consideration, she said. |
| "Everybody who provides a service has got to think about climate change," she said. | "Everybody who provides a service has got to think about climate change," she said. |
| "Most scientists say it is too early to say if recent flooding was the result of climate change, but these extreme events are happening more frequently." | "Most scientists say it is too early to say if recent flooding was the result of climate change, but these extreme events are happening more frequently." |
| She said in many cities the drainage was built 150 to 200 years ago and was unable to cope with such heavy rain. | She said in many cities the drainage was built 150 to 200 years ago and was unable to cope with such heavy rain. |
| Flood warning | |
| Baroness Young said another key factor was protecting against flooding from rivers and seas, for which the prime minister announced an extra £200m in flood defences. | Baroness Young said another key factor was protecting against flooding from rivers and seas, for which the prime minister announced an extra £200m in flood defences. |
| As more rain was predicted, Baroness Young advised people to listen to radio, television and online reports and to call Floodline and follow the recommendations. | |
| She also said many people should sign to the agency's direct flood warning service, which had made 140,000 calls to those at risk of flooding over the past week. | |
| BBC forecaster Peter Gibbs said: "On Saturday night we are going to some heavy rain but it's not going to be anything like the amounts we saw when we had the flooding originally. | |
| "Still the ground is saturated, which can cause concern." | |
| He said widely across south Wales and southern England 10 to 15 mm of rain was expected, with a few places seeing as much as 30mm of rain. | |
| This compares to 120 mm of rainfall which occurred in soime places during the recent flooding. | |
| Some economists have put the immediate costs of the floods at around £5bn. | Some economists have put the immediate costs of the floods at around £5bn. |
| The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would be a long process to assess the extent of the damage caused by the flooding. | The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would be a long process to assess the extent of the damage caused by the flooding. |
| "Local authorities are facing a very difficult situation because as the waters recede - and that includes in places like Doncaster and Sheffield and Hull where they're well into the cleaning up operation - here are a lot of other consequences," he said. | "Local authorities are facing a very difficult situation because as the waters recede - and that includes in places like Doncaster and Sheffield and Hull where they're well into the cleaning up operation - here are a lot of other consequences," he said. |
| "The need to refurbish schools, looking at some of the roads, the bridges that might have been affected, so it's going to be a long hard slog." | "The need to refurbish schools, looking at some of the roads, the bridges that might have been affected, so it's going to be a long hard slog." |
| He said the government was committed to working with people and communities as they "try and recover from these terrible events." | He said the government was committed to working with people and communities as they "try and recover from these terrible events." |
| Tankers | Tankers |
| Water companies across the UK have been sending in tankers to help thousands of homeowners whose supplies have been contaminated, and the Red Cross has been delivering food parcels. | Water companies across the UK have been sending in tankers to help thousands of homeowners whose supplies have been contaminated, and the Red Cross has been delivering food parcels. |
| The charity's appeal for flood victims has so far raised £500,000. | The charity's appeal for flood victims has so far raised £500,000. |
| Jane Rogers from the Red Cross who is running the relief effort in the affected areas, told BBC Five Live that in some places people had resorted to drinking pond water. | Jane Rogers from the Red Cross who is running the relief effort in the affected areas, told BBC Five Live that in some places people had resorted to drinking pond water. |
| "The problem now is that people do not have drinking water coming through their taps, so we have seen people who have been without drinking water for four days now," she said. | "The problem now is that people do not have drinking water coming through their taps, so we have seen people who have been without drinking water for four days now," she said. |
| Gloucestershire fire chiefs have warned people not to take risks clearing up flood-hit properties following the deaths of a 64-year-old man and his son in Tewkesbury. | Gloucestershire fire chiefs have warned people not to take risks clearing up flood-hit properties following the deaths of a 64-year-old man and his son in Tewkesbury. |
| The Health Protection Agency said the risk of contracting any illness is generally low, but people are advised to avoid coming into direct contact with floodwater. | The Health Protection Agency said the risk of contracting any illness is generally low, but people are advised to avoid coming into direct contact with floodwater. |
| Environment Agency floodline: 0845 988 1188 | Environment Agency floodline: 0845 988 1188 |
| Have you been affected by the floods? How are the drinking water supplies? Please use the form below to tell us about your experiences. | Have you been affected by the floods? How are the drinking water supplies? Please use the form below to tell us about your experiences. |
| You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial 61124.Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial 61124.Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |