When heavy rain and extreme weather turn rivers and estuaries into overflowing hazards, Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council is on the front line. Their teams respond quickly to protect housing estates, car parks, and retail areas from flooding – but traditional methods, like sandbags, have made the job slow, messy, and expensive in the past.
Enter Fernco: a company dedicated to smarter flood management solutions. Terry Sloman, Area Sales Manager for the South West, explains how the partnership began.
“We first connected with BCP Council through a customer of a customer; they had been purchasing our flood management products via local merchants we partner with. Council staff were already familiar with our solutions in-branch, but it was when we launched the Fernco Floodbag that we engaged directly with BCP Council so that they could see the products in action.”
Up until then, BCP Council had been using traditional sandbags. This meant manually filling bags with sand out on the forecourt – a laborious task which meant spilled sand was often washed away into nearby drains. This in turn led to blocked drains, which incurred costs of up to £10K a month to clear.
Not to mention, the filled sandbags were bulky and heavy, making storage and transport a challenge for the council. Staff often spent valuable time moving and stacking them, which reduced efficiency during urgent flood-prevention tasks.
“We – and BCP Council – recognised the issues created by using these outdated sandbags,” continues Terry. That’s why we delivered demo boxes to their offices and spent a morning with the team, demonstrating the Fernco Floodbags in action, showing how we could make their work faster, easier, and cleaner.”
The Highways Supervisor at BCP, says: “The impact was immediate. Tasks that once required spilling sand, clogging drains, and hiring contractors became simple and fast. BCP teams can now respond across Bournemouth more effectively, protecting properties and public spaces without delay.”
Designed to block and divert floodwater from property thresholds, Fernco Floodbags rapidly absorbs water and expands to create a fully waterproof flood barrier.
Eliminating the need to manually fill sacks with sand, Fernco Floodbags come pre-filled and can be deployed quickly in a flood event. Vacuum-packed and flat for easy long-term storage, they won’t deteriorate or become porous over time, unlike traditional sandbags. This delivers a rapid, safe, and reliable solution for flood management.
“Fernco Floodbags are perfect for quick responses. We can keep a few packets in the back of a van and deploy them anywhere as needed,” adds BCP Council’s Highways Supervisor. “What’s more is we utilise these all year round, as they’re not just for flooding events. When tenants experience incidents like washing machine leaks and freezer defrosts, we can use them used to divert water and protect the home.”
After seeing the wide-ranging benefits of Fernco Floodbags, BCP council also started utilising Fernco’s wider flood protection range. Since many of BCP’s properties feature ground-floor toilets, a common occurrence was that, in the event of heavy rain, flooding could cause rising water which then spills onto the floor – creating a health hazard, and, as you can imagine, a mess…
Fernco’s Non-Return Valves was the perfect anecdote to this frequent issue: they provides effective prevention for backflow, stopping foul water from blocked sewerage systems, averting potential flooding inside properties through toilets, plug holes, and waste pipes.
From demos to real-life deployments, Fernco is proving that small, smart innovations and collaboration can make a big difference for communities in the South West and beyond. Smarter, lighter, and safer, Fernco’s flood resilience range is helping BCP Council protect the community – quicker, cheaper, and easier.
