New river alarms installed across Lincolnshire, including Gainsborough, for hyper-local flooding notifications
Special measuring devices are being installed in streams and rivers across 64 Lincolnshire towns and villages, including Gainsborough, as part of a new initiative to help communities prepare for flooding.
The telemetry devices monitor water levels and send updates every 15 minutes to an online dashboard.
If water rises to certain levels, the system raises the alarm by text or email to town and parish leaders and emergency teams.
Local residents can sign up too, to help them be more prepared for flooding and be able to take action.
Coun Danny Brookes, executive member for environment at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Many people are already signed up to the flood alerts and flood warnings that are issued by the Environment Agency, which use monitoring devices on main rivers and other waterways.
“This doesn’t replace those flood alerts, but takes this great idea and goes that bit further, to better prepare localised communities which have suffered flooding in the past.
“So far, we’ve identified 64 areas where extra monitoring devices would help provide a localised alarm system.
“We’ve already been working with emergency groups and local leaders in these areas, and carrying out drop-in sessions in each community to encourage residents to sign up too. It’s early warnings made hyper-local.”
The new campaign was recognised in the 2025 Environmental Monitoring Awards, where it was highly commended in the ‘New Initiative’ category.
Project Groundwater Greater Lincolnshire is funded by Defra as part of the £200m Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, which is managed by the Environment Agency.
Among the places where the new telemetry devices have already been installed are Gainsborough, Blyton, Saxilby, Scotter and Sturton by Stow.