You can contact GeoSmart by telephone, email, or via one of our online forms to ask a question about a report or specific concern you may have. Our consultants will direct you to the most relevant report and answer your questions.
If you can’t find the right contaminated land, flood risk or SuDS report to suit your needs, do get in touch with a member of our dedicated team to learn more about other products and services that may suit you.
If your site does not match the assumptions stated for a report, please contact the GeoSmart team to learn more about other products and services we can recommend.
GeoSmart’s pricing structure is clear and easy to understand – you pay what you are quoted and no more! Our prices are usually quoted excluding VAT and are completely transparent.
Placing an order with GeoSmart couldn’t be easier. Simply register your interest in the report(s) of your choice by filling in the details on the “Order now” form. This does not commit you to making any payment at this stage. Once we have received the form, we will get back to you by phone or email to check your details, respond to any queries you may have, confirm the price of the report(s) you are interested in, and to confirm whether you wish to proceed with an order. If you wish to proceed, we can then take payment over the phone and once your payment is processed we can start work on your report straight away.
GeoSmart requires an advance payment for all reports (either full or half the amount quoted depending on the product you are buying). You will receive confirmation of payment when it is received by GeoSmart, which signals that we are ready to make a start with your report. When paying half the full amount in advance, the remaining balance is due on completion of the report and will be requested before your report is issued to you.
GeoSmart accepts payment by debit and debit cards (excluding American Express), bank transfer and cheque. The fastest way to proceed is to pay by card, but the choice is yours!
GeoSmart Reports are delivered electronically as .pdf files to your email inbox. Hard copy reports can be made available on request for an additional charge.
Reports will be delivered to the purchaser unless otherwise stated. GeoSmart do not submit reports to Regulators on your behalf.
All of GeoSmart’s Reports offer a Nationwide service. We have tried to accommodate as much of the UK as possible for our EnviroSmart Reports. However, some parts of Scotland, Devon and Cornwall are excluded. If your site falls within an excluded area we can still assist, but please do get in touch as we will provide a quote specifically for you.
Our reports make clear recommendations based on risks that we have identified. When further work is required we will specify the best course of action for you in our report recommendations
If more in-depth, more personalised, or more complex assessments are required, GeoSmart’s sister company ESI Consulting has the benefit of being able to access dedicated and specialist consultants that are available around the clock to provide support. You can contact the GeoSmart team to put you in touch with the right people to help or else contact ESI directly through the details on their website.
A Phase 1 Study collates relevant information from a variety of sources relating to the setting of the site and its previous historical uses. The end product is an interpretive report that contains a qualitative risk assessment, including a conceptual site model that describes the potentially significant sources of contamination, receptors and pathways.
The study involves multiple sources of information often including Ordnance Survey maps, geological and groundwater vulnerability maps, aerial photographs, local and national archives, and newspapers and registers held by relevant regulatory agencies. A site walkover (land investigation) may be required to support the collated desk-based information, to provide details of the current condition of the site, and to gather evidence of potential contamination. When a site walkover is requested, Envirep will generally conduct the walkover following the initial desk study to ensure a ‘best value’ approach in meeting regulations and individual report needs.
A Phase 1 Study collates relevant information from a variety of sources relating to the site setting and its previous historical uses. The end product is an interpretive report that describes the likely presence of any contamination within the subsurface, and the potential risks that this may pose to future site users and the immediate environment. A site walkover may be required to support the desk study information and to provide greater certainty in the report findings.
If land is highlighted by the local planning authority as potentially being contaminated, the authority’s Contaminated Land Officer is likely to impose a planning condition that an assessment must be completed for clarification. Until that assessment has been completed and accepted by the Contaminated Land Officer, the development should not proceed.
Each local authority has a general responsibility for identifying and deciding on necessary actions in relation to contaminated land in its area. Land can potentially be sold when contaminated and the responsibility may end up being passed onto the new owner, or indeed a bank or mortgage lender if the new purchaser was to default. In summary, professional advice should always be sought prior to purchase on any previously developed land.
A Flood Risk Assessment is also mandatory for sites of 1 hectare or greater in Flood Zone 1, and for smaller sites in an area within Flood Zone 1 which has critical drainage problems, as notified to the local planning authority by the Environment Agency. For further information on the relationship between Flood Zones and Flood Risk Assessments, see our news item Flood Zones Explained.
A Flood Risk Assessment should demonstrate how a proposed development will manage flood risk from all possible water sources to the site in question. Changes in flood risk to off-site locations as a consequence of development should also be considered with recommendations provided to avoid increasing such risk.
If you live in England, your site will be located in a Flood Zone as defined by the Environment Agency for planning purposes, but many will be located in Flood Zone 1 with a low probability of flooding. To find out what Flood Zone your site is located in, input your postcode into the Environment Agency Flood Map.
A FloodSmart report can be delivered in 5-10 working days. Delivery of reports requiring Environment Agency consultation and data (FloodSmart Plus and FloodSmart Pro) is dependent on the Environment Agency response times to supply data, which can take up to 20 working days. Typically your report will be dispatched ten working days from receipt of the EA data. A premium delivery is available if your report is urgent – do get in touch and let us know. Your report will be sent in electronic format as a .pdf file straight to your inbox, with hard copies available at an additional cost.
Local planning authorities are likely to request a Flood Risk Assessment for any site which is situated on the modelled flood plain, and within the vicinity of a fluvial or tidal watercourse. Flood Risk Assessments are also requested in areas of low fluvial or tidal flood risk if a proposed development is over one hectare in size and/or lies within a critical drainage area.
Different levels of flood risk assessment reports are required for different purposes. We’ve therefore developed a range of products which are suited to meet the various needs of our clients. Visit our FloodSmart homepage for more information info@geosmartinfo.co.uk.
For initial screening at the conceptual design stage a SuDSmart or SuDSmart Plus Report typically supports developers and regulators with infiltration drainage advice. This is the preferred method for managing surface water without increasing flood risk downstream. When infiltration drainage cannot be undertaken at a site due to the underlying ground conditions, other more conventional drainage systems are introduced in our SuDSmart Pro Report (Note: infiltration drainage techniques are also considered when possible).
SuDSmart Pro Reports analyse the potential run-off from a site so that it can be managed effectively to ensure there is no increase in flood risk on or off the site. Post development run-off rates are assessed for a range of storm events including an allowance for future climate change. A drainage strategy is developed to offset the increase in surface water run-off from the new development using the principles of SuDS and the code for sustainable homes. The hydrological context of the site is assessed, along with any potential issues that may affect the SuDS system. A range of potential options are assessed including discharge to the ground, surface water courses or sewerage. The report provides sizes and flow rates for a range of sustainable drainage options that may be considered.
You should note that our most detailed report, SuDSmart Pro provides alternative options and preliminary scheme layouts that should be subject to more detailed review at the master planning stage. In our experience, this level of detail is required for more stringent planning authorities or for more complex sites that warrant more detailed assessment.
All SuDSmart reports include recommendations for next steps. We will always advise on the most cost effective way to move forward and provide details of how to do this whilst meeting in the needs of the planning department.
GeoSmart are able to provide access to a range of highly experienced senior consultants and engineers through our sister company ESI Ltd., who can provide a more detailed review of your site specifics and planning requirements. ESI also provide soakaway/infiltration testing services and interpretive data review. Please contact a member of the GeoSmart team to put you in touch with ESI when further detailed assessment is required.
To discuss the SD50 SuDS screening map and how it can improve your planning submission for your client, contact us today.
Groundwater is one of the sources of flooding that may affect a location with potentially important consequences for properties and infrastructure, therefore a review of the groundwater flood risk for a site is recommended prior to a property transaction or property development. An initial screening review will be sufficient for most areas that are at negligible risk of groundwater flooding. Areas that may be at significant risk of groundwater flooding generally require a more detailed site-specific assessment. The Groundwater Flood Risk Map allows users identify whether groundwater may be a source of flooding at their site. It is available at multiple scales and risk resolutions.
GW5: The Groundwater Flood Risk map is available at 5m resolution for Great Britain. It classifies groundwater flood risk in every cell on a 5m grid covering Great Britain into one of 4 risk categories: Negligible, Low, Moderate, and High.
GW200-S: The Groundwater Flood Risk map is available on a 200m grid covering Great Britain as a Screening Map. It classifies groundwater flood risk for each cell on that grid into one of two categories: ‘Potentially At Risk’ and ‘Negligible Risk’, based on the maximum risk occurrence within that cell as represented on the higher resolutions product, GW5.
The map classification shows on a national mapping scale the areas within which property may be at risk, but this should not be mistaken to mean that groundwater floods will occur across the whole of the groundwater flood risk zones. Mapping limitations and a number of local factors may reduce groundwater flood risk to land and property even where it lies within mapped groundwater flood risk zones.
The groundwater flood risk model used to produce the map incorporates various national scale datasets including Terrain 50 topographical data produced by the Ordnance Survey, LIDAR Digital Terrain Models produced by the Environment Agency, 1:50,000 scale Geological Maps produced by the British Geological Survey, and Groundwater Level data produced by the British Geological Survey. Bespoke in-house hydrogeological and risk models were used to process this data and produce the Groundwater Flood Risk Map. A national database of recorded groundwater flooding events collated by GeoSmart from various sources is used to calibrate and validate the Groundwater Flood Risk Map.
CLASS 4: NEGLIGIBLE RISK: There is a negligible risk of groundwater flooding in this area and any groundwater flooding incidence has an annual probability of occurrence of less than 1%.
Comments: No further investigation of risk is deemed necessary unless proposed site use is unusually sensitive. However, data may be lacking in some areas, so assessment as ‘negligible risk’ on the basis of the map does not rule out local flooding due to features not currently represented in the national datasets used to generate this version of the map.
CLASS 3: LOW RISK: There is a low risk of groundwater flooding in this area with an annual probability of occurrence of 1% or greater.
Comments: There will be a remote possibility that incidence of groundwater flooding could lead to damage to property or harm to other sensitive receptors at, or near, this location. For sensitive land uses further consideration of site topography, drainage, and historical information on flooding in the local area should be undertaken by a suitably qualified professional. Should there be any flooding it is likely to be limited to seepages and waterlogged ground, damage to basements and subsurface infrastructure, and should pose no significant risk to life. Surface water flooding, however, may be exacerbated when groundwater levels are high.
CLASS 2: MODERATE: There is a moderate risk of groundwater flooding in this area with an annual probability of occurrence of 1% or greater.
Comments: There will be a significant possibility that incidence of groundwater flooding could lead to damage to property or harm to other sensitive receptors at, or near, this location. Where flooding occurs it is likely to be in the form of shallow pools or streams. There may be basement flooding, but road or rail closures should not be needed and flooding should pose no significant risk to life. Surface water flooding and failure of drainage systems may be exacerbated when groundwater levels are high. Further consideration of the local level of risk and mitigation, by a suitably qualified professional, is recommended.
CLASS 1: HIGH: There is a high risk of groundwater flooding in this area with an annual probability of occurrence of 1% or greater.
Comments: It is likely that incidence of groundwater flooding will occur, with an annual probability of 1% or greater, which could lead to damage to property or harm to other sensitive receptors at, or near, this location. Flooding may result in damage to property, road or rail closures and, in exceptional cases, may pose a risk to life. Surface water flooding and failure of drainage systems will be exacerbated when groundwater levels are high. Further consideration of the local level of risk and mitigation, by a suitably qualified professional, is recommended.
However, there are a number of reasons why the national map may be indicating risk where there is no actual risk at a local scale (mapping limitations), and also a number of local factors that may protect land and property even where it lies within confirmed flood risk zones (property protection factors).
Mapping Limitations
Some of the main reasons why the map may be indicating risk in areas where flooding may not actually occur:
Property Protection Factors
Some of the main reasons why property within areas at risk of flooding may avoid being flooded:
In summary, it is recommended that a more detailed risk assessment by a suitably qualified specialist should be undertaken for any sites that occur in mapped zones of groundwater flood risk where the impact of groundwater flooding would have significant adverse consequences. Decisions such as whether to proceed with a property transaction should not be made on the basis of the map classification alone. Even in the event that groundwater flood risk is confirmed through site-specific assessment, potential risk mitigation measures can usually be identified which could enable the property transaction or development to proceed.
The map is updated on a 6 month cycle to take advantage of newly released data as soon as it comes out.
The map has been through a rigorous internal QA process, and has been reviewed by external experts. At every update cycle, it is reviewed against a national database of groundwater flooding events to verify its validity.
Other sources of flooding should be considered in this case, which are not represented on the Groundwater Flood Risk Map. These include fluvial and tidal flooding, surface water flooding, and flooding produced by springs.
This suggests an important hydrological connection between the river and the groundwater in this area. Due to the groundwater contribution, flooding in this area may occur more frequently and for longer durations than would be expected from fluvial flooding alone.
Bedrock Flooding: After extreme rainfall, groundwater levels, in places, rise to intercept the ground surface. Rises in groundwater level may also be superimposed upon above average groundwater levels in the aquifer prior to the rainfall. Water tables typically reach the surface first in (dry) river valleys, where the emerging water can drain away. With increasing groundwater levels, the carrying capacity of the drainage channel is exceeded and a surface flood commences. This is also known as ‘clearwater’ flooding because of the relative clarity of groundwater compared to fluvial flood water.
Permeable Superficial Deposits Flooding: Where groundwater in permeable superficial deposits (PSD) is in good hydraulic contact with a river or the coast, flooding can occur during periods of high river stage or tide. This mechanism is particularly exacerbated when the PSD overlie low permeability strata.
If a depression is set back from the river, with a connection via PSD then this might be prone to groundwater flooding even if it is protected from overland fluvial flooding. In conditions of less extreme floods, groundwater flooding often occurs in flood plains due to high in-channel river levels, before the river overtops its bank, or after it has retreated back into its channel. It is therefore often difficult to distinguish from river flooding. Effectively, the subsurface flow path results in more extensive, frequent, and prolonged inundation of flood plains that occur on permeable superficial deposits connected to rivers.
Other mechanisms of groundwater flooding that are not represented on the Groundwater Flood Risk Map are:
The GeoSmart SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map should be consulted as part of the site development and design process or when considering land purchase.
The SuDS map supports the following requirements:
The map provides an initial assessment of the feasibility of infiltration SuDS at a site and recommendations on site investigations to support Infiltration system design, where relevant. It is intended to support property professionals at an early stage in the development planning process in understanding the SuDS options available at a site and the risks and costs associated with them.
There are a range of SuDS options available to provide effective surface water management that intercept and store excess run-off. When considering these options the preferred destination of the run off should be assessed using the order of preference outlined in the Building Regulations Part H document (HM Government, 2010) and DEFRA’s Draft National Standards for SuDS (2011):
For general information on SuDS see www.susdrain.org.
The GeoSmart SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map has full coverage over Great Britain with a resolution of 50m.
The GeoSmart SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map map consists of an Infiltration Potential Map which represents three categories, Low, Moderate, High, which indicate the potential for successfully implementing an infiltration system at a given location. The mapped infiltration potential is based on data related to the geology of underlying superficial deposits and bedrock, their permeability, the thickness of the superficial deposits, where they exist, and high groundwater levels.
For sites less than 1 ha, a close-up of the Infiltration Potential map for the site can be obtained via the SuDSmart Standard, Plus and Pro Reports, along with site analyses and recommendations related to site investigations to inform infiltration system design and additional supporting information. For larger sites, the GeoSmart SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map can be obtained for any area boundary. The map is also available for purchase at county or national scale.
The map will tell you whether infiltration is likely to be a feasible solution for managing rainfall runoff at your site. Where relevant, it will also provide information that supports the initial conceptual design of an infiltration system and recommendations on field investigations required to support the detailed design of such a system. Whether infiltration techniques are feasible or not will determine the suitability of other SuDS schemes going forward. The map can therefore provide information early on in the property development process related to the range of SuDS options available to a site and expected costs of implementing SuDS at a site.
The GeoSmart SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map incorporate various national scale datasets including 1:50,000 scale Geological Maps produced by the British Geological Survey and Permeability Data and Superficial Deposit Thickness. GeoSmart’s SuDS Infiltration Suitability Map also uses information from GeoSmart’s Groundwater Flood Risk Map, which is based on national scale datasets of topography and groundwater levels, in addition to bespoke in-house hydrogeological and risk models.
The map is updated on a 6-month cycle to take advantage of newly released data as soon as it comes out
The map has been through a rigorous internal QA process. At every update cycle, it is reviewed against a national database of site-specific SuDS assessments to verify its validity and identify any required model improvements to be incorporated into the next updated release.
We update our forecast every working day. This is sufficient when there are no imminent groundwater flooding incidents. If incidents are likely, or are occurring then we increase the service to daily, then twice daily. A weekly synopsis of the outlook for groundwater flooding is prepared by our experienced hydrogeologists in support of the daily forecasts.
We send you:
We send the daily forecasts by email, which will include a link to download the forecast as a data file and catchment risk map. We also provide a web mapping interface.
A weekly synopsis report is provided reviewing the outlook and current groundwater situation with accompanying forecast groundwater hydrographs. The potential impact and duration of groundwater flooding events is reviewed as part of the report.
We currently deliver as csv files (one line for each catchment), ESRI shapefiles, and PNG images. In addition the web mapping interface gives a spatial overview of the forecast. Other file types can be delivered on request.
Our standard forecast is delivered for 302 river catchments across southern and south east England (soon to be c. 500 catchments from southern England to Yorkshire). But if you have a particular asset, community or location we can provide a specific forecast.
Yes – for a small set-up fee in addition to the annual licence we can enter your location into the system and generate a daily forecast for your specific location, community or asset.
A base map is used to highlight the forecast for groundwater flood-prone river valleys. The GeoSmart Groundwater Flood Risk Map can be used in tandem with the forecasts to highlight the particular locations within a catchment that might be at risk.
The GeoSmart groundwater forecast model combines historic climate and borehole data plus live telemetry feeds and daily updates of the most accurate ensemble weather forecasts. Predicted groundwater levels are used to map risk predictions over a range of time scales for 5, 15, 30 and up to 90 days in advance. As with any weather forecast the uncertainty in the predictions increases with the extent of forward prediction. Results indicate the percentage likelihood that groundwater flooding will occur within the prescribed time period and potential flooding duration.
Threshold levels are set relative to the forecast groundwater elevations to indicate the likely onset of groundwater flooding. Where required additional threshold levels can be set by the client for specific assets or communities.
You can subscribe to get a forecast for one location, or on a wider regional scale. Contact us for licensing costs.
We would like to reassure our clients that we have implemented measures to ensure service continuity and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 . Our robust IT system and environmental database allows all team members to operate effectively whatever their location. Our clients can continue to expect an immediate response via our usual telephone numbers and emails. |