Groundwater flooding for the Piddle Valley

High groundwater levels are expected to cause flooding. Groundwater levels in West Dorset remain high. Areas that could be affected include: Piddletrentide, Plush, Piddlehinton, Puddletown, Tolpuddle and Affpuddle. The groundwater level at the Doles Ash borehole is currently at 120.71m, levels are slowly starting to recede but remain high and reactive to further rainfall. The forecast is dry for the week with showers possible over the weekend. Residents are advised to prepare property resilience measures and ensure that pumps are working where they have been installed. Residents may experience inundation of septic tanks and sewer systems. Flooding of roads is expected, take particular care when driving. We are closely monitoring the situation. If you have a pump, make sure it is working and switched on. Think about alternative power sources in case of power cuts. This message will be updated by 11:00AM on 17 March 2026 or as the situation changes.