With installation of property flood resilience (PFR) measures now nearing completion at almost 100 homes across Northamptonshire, the Defra-funded RAIN Project has reached a significant milestone, however for those involved, this is not the finish line.
Instead, it marks the point at which flood resilience moves from something installed in a property to something understood, managed and lived with by the people inside it.
From survey to installation
The innovation-led programme has been built on a structured, evidence-led approach from the outset.
Following location modelling by HR Wallingford, more than 100 homes across the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments were surveyed by JBA Consulting, helping to identify individual property risks and determine the most appropriate resilience measures for each setting.
With the survey phase complete, focus shifted to procurement and delivery, ensuring installation would meet the required technical and quality standards.
While the majority of installations are now nearing completion, a small number of Grade II listed homes require additional consents, which are progressing as planned.
Raising the bar on installation
Installations have been delivered by Watertight International, with a clear focus on consistency, quality and alignment to recognised standards.
All works have been carried out in line with the CIRIA Property Flood Resilience Code of Practice, providing a structured approach from design through to installation and handover.
The delivery reflects what the team refer to as “The Watertight Way”, a commitment to installing the right measures, in the right way. Central to this is a careful balance between the person, the property and the flood risk itself, recognising that no two households are the same.
Each property is supported through a structured handover, with a sample of installations undergoing wet testing to verify product performance and installation; an approach Watertight takes seriously as part of its wider commitment to quality assurance.
As Mark Arrowsmith, Operations Director at Watertight International, explains: “We don’t just install and leave. It’s about making sure homeowners understand what’s been fitted, how it works, and that they have confidence in it.”
That focus is reflected in feedback from residents.
Resident Graham Dorks in Brigstock, said: “We would like to thank the team for the help and consideration shown while working on our home. There were times when they went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with the outcome.”
Independent verification and long-term confidence
PFR has evolved significantly in recent years, not just in how measures are installed, but in how they are understood, maintained and used over time. RAIN has taken a structured approach to supporting that.
Post-installation audits are currently underway, delivered by JBA Consulting, providing an additional layer of independent verification to ensure measures are as intended.
Alongside this, follow-up visits are helping residents build confidence, which has been led by Watertight’s Benn Cudworth: “The audit stage isn’t just about checking the installation, but about spending time with residents, walking them through what’s been done and making sure they feel confident using it day-to-day.”
A flood door or barrier is only effective if it is deployed correctly. A pump or valve only works if it is maintained. Without that understanding, even well-installed measures can fall short in practice. This is where the next phase of the RAIN Project therefore comes into focus.
DIVE RIGHT IN
Sign up to our newsletter
Putting control back in homeowners’ hands
Homeowners are now being onboarded to Resilico Connect; a digital platform designed to ensure residents know what to do, when to act, and how to manage their measures over time.
Through the app, residents can:
- Create, maintain and access a personalised flood plan at any time
- Receive flood alerts from the Environment Agency & Met Office, as well as local real-time sensors that have been installed at key locations in the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook to provide hyper-local flood risk data
- Store key information about their property and installed measures
- Track maintenance requirements.
Rather than information being fragmented, everything sits in one place and so is accessible when it is needed most.
Adds Benn: “The response from residents has been positive. When you walk them through the app, it just clicks: they can see everything in one place.”
From measures to lived resilience
What is emerging through RAIN is a more complete model of PFR delivery; one that connects installation and ongoing management with preparedness. For residents, this translates into something simple but powerful: confidence.
Resident Ella Carlton in Brigstock, said: “My home may be small, but it’s everything to me and now I feel I can finally relax when it rains, instead of lying awake worrying about water building up.”
By combining physical measures with structured support, preparedness packs, and accessible digital tools, the project is helping to embed resilience at a household level.
A blueprint for future delivery
As the programme moves towards completion, the learning is clear. Well-delivered PFR is not just about installation but about the systems that support it: with preparedness being the key starting point to managing long-term use and maintenance.
PFR is just one part of the wider RAIN Project’s approach. Alongside property-level measures, natural flood management (NFM) interventions have also been delivered across the catchments, working upstream to slow the flow and reduce pressure on communities.
While each intervention plays a different role, it is their cumulative effect, at property, community and catchment level, that will help shape long-term resilience.
As Alan Ryan, Programme Manager of The RAIN Project puts it: “Our innovation programme has always been about more than installing measures. It’s about giving people the knowledge, confidence and tools they need to lessen the potential impacts of flooding and ultimately being more aware and better prepared.”