Public services in England and Wales may be under threat because hundreds of hospitals, schools, care homes, police, fire and ambulance stations need urgent flood protection.

The vulnerable state of infrastructure, which includes telephone exchanges, electricity and gas sub-stations and sewerage and water centres, was highlighted yesterday by the Environment Agency.

After the summer’s severe flooding, which affected more than 55,000 homes and businesses and brought devastation to parts of the Cotswolds, the Thames Valley, Yorkshire and the Midlands, ministers and the agency are now anxious to spare future flood victims the same level of misery.

Sanctions are to be imposed on utility companies and other public institutions if they fail to invest in flood defences to safeguard critical services and supplies. They will also be required by law to flood-proof crucial buildings and installations. The new provisions are to be tabled soon as an amendment to the Climate Change Bill currently before Parliament.

Financial penalties on authorities and companies where supply is lost or disrupted is also expected.

After the wettest May to July since records began, thousands were forced to leave their homes and many will still be out at Christmas after flooding that cost £3 billion in insurance claims.

In Gloucestershire, 140,000 homes did not have running water for two weeks. About 300 schools in Yorkshire and Humberside were affected. The forced closure of parts of the M1, M4 and M50 and of railway stations and some lines added to the chaos.

Baroness Young of Old Scone, chief executive of the agency, said there were just “too many” crucial infrastructure at risk of flooding and suggested that it may take as long as 20 to 25 years to remedy. She said: “We must ensure that all the key utilities and public services take responsibility for climate-change-proofing their infrastructure.”

Thousands of people whose homes were flooded were not given enough time to prepare. The agency’s flood alerts are based on high water levels but there is no early warning system for surface-water flooding.

More than 35,000 homes and businesses were flooded by surface water this summer, which caused two thirds of the damage. The agency wants more to be spent improving urban drainage and sewerage systems. It also wants to be given the overview role to manage the risk of this flooding, though solutions would rest with local authorities, developers and industries.

The agency is keen to widen its free flood-warning service where people at risk receive texts or phone calls. Only 41 per cent of householders in flood risk areas are signed up to them.

The agency has estimated that it will need £1 billion a year to protect people from floods but is satisfied with pledges of £800 million by 2010.

At risk

13 hospitals

227 care homes

414 schools

3 prisons

680 health centres

222 railway stations

Significant flood risk is a greater than 1 in 75 chance of flooding in any one year

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