Thames Water has joined forces with councils across London and the Thames Valley to improve surface water management.
Councils in Hounslow, Lambeth, Cherwell, Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse will embark on projects to manage rainwater through sustainable drainage. The councils won £3 million in funding to develop and deliver systems to prevent flooding in their region.
Sustainable drainage solutions, such as raingardens and using green spaces to temporarily store rainwater after heavy rainfall, mimic nature by absorbing rain into the ground or slowing its journey to drains and sewers.
The solutions will be added to council-owned land to increase the blue and green infrastructure while making the areas more resilient to flood risks.
The councils were selected from nine bids. Thames will continue discussions with the other bidders to find projects in their areas that could be funded over the next five years.
Last year the company installed permeable pavements in Hammersmith and Fulham to protect homes from flooding. The pavements absorb rainwater and slowly release it into the sewer network.