Rainwater is the name given to rain after it has been touched the ground, It is water from atmospheric precipitation which has not yet loaded soluble substances on the ground. It is often collected in built or natural surfaces capable of intercepting or recovering rainwater for example roofs, terraces, impluviums and trees.”

Rainwater is generally not mineralized and poor in organic matter. In industrialized or agricultural areas it can be acidified and polluted by various contaminants including ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite ions and residues from human activities (metals, PAHs, and pesticides .

Rainwater can also drag particles deposited or eroded on the ground. Rainwater is sometimes collected in canals or stored in retention basins or tanks. This water then either infiltrates the ground or is used for domestic, agricultural or industrial purposes.
The rainwater that has not infiltrated the ground or been collected then flows across the grounds surface. This is referred to as water ‘runoff’.

Rainwater can be:
• Discharged into the public water collection network, where it exists. In this case, the diameter of the connecting pipe must be less
than the diameter of the public pipe.

• Discharged into a ditch, built or natural drain, where it exists. In this case, the discharge is only permitted subject to authorization
from the owner or manager of the drain.

• Discharged into surface water, subject to authorization and compliance with lawful procedures. In plots bordering a flood zone,
rainwater is discharged at an altimetric level higher than the highest water level.

• Infiltrated into the plot ground after temporary storage is used to regulate the flow. Rainwater is infiltrated into the ground by
devices sized according to the nature of the soil (infiltration wells, return drains, ditches, natural drain, etc.). In the event of a
rejection by infiltration, the client must provide all the technical justifications to judge the effective feasibility of the rejection and its
suitability for its soil and hydrogeological environment, both in quantitative and qualitative terms (study obligatory soil including a
characterization of the permeability to the right of the zone of implantation of the infiltration device).

In fact, it depends on where this water comes from (runoff, rainwater, spring water) and whether your neighbor has carried out work that increases natural flow.

The owner of a lower property cannot construct a dam or dike which prevents natural flow.

The upper owner or land owner located upstream should not do anything that aggravates the downstream flow. As the owner of the
land below that of your neighbor, you are subject to a natural flow easement. Every land owner must establish roofs so that rainwater flows on his land or on the public highway; he rainwater from the roof must not flow directly onto the neighbors property.

Once your neighbor has recovered rainwater from his roof via a gutter, if he cannot evacuate it on the public highway, in a ditch or in the public rainwater network, it can flow freely following the natural slope of the land. This is then assimilated into the runoff, and therefore part of the natural flow.

Your neighbor cannot carry out work which would increase the volume or change the direction of water flow. For example, they cannot change the configuration of their land, install a drain or a ditch that would collect all the water and cause flooding to a neighbor.

If your neighbor’s water floods your property, you cannot do any work that will limit this flow. For example, you cannot build a wall and if you install a fence it should not interfere with the natural flow of water. You can facilitate the flow of water by creating a ditch, drainage system or others.

Contact your Local Authorities for advice on flood-prone zones in your area.

Report it to your Local Authority (Municipal Council or District Council).

It is highly recommended to stay home. Secure your property and avoid touching electrical sockets found near accumulations of water.