Episode 38: Inside the University Lab Testing Flood Protection
If floodwater reached your front door, how much would actually get inside?
Tim Smedley visits the University of Hull’s flood testing lab, where Professor Stuart McLelland and his team flood real household doors to measure exactly how much water gets through.
Find out why outward opening doors let in around 80% less water, how simple flood tape cut leakage by over 95% in the best cases, and why sandbags struggle in shallow water.
2 Oct 2026
Episode 37: Is Your Home at Risk of Flooding? What Most Homeowners Don't Know
Most of us think a flood either happens or it doesn't, but whether your home actually floods often comes down to a few centimetres and how your house is built.
In this episode of the Water Matters podcast, Tim Smedley heads to Hull to talk flood resilience with Martin Lennon, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at Flood Re. Martin explains how flood insurance works for homes at high flood risk, and why flooding in the UK is a long-standing problem rather than a new one caused by climate change. Along the way, he also shares simple, low-cost steps that can make a big difference.
18 Sept 2026
Episode 36: England's Historic 2026 Drought & the "Let's Save Water" Campaign
71.3% of England is in official drought, and 2026 is on track to break last year's record-breaking dry spell. In this episode, Matthew Rolph and Tim Smedley unpack the scale of this summer's drought — from wildfire alerts and the worst harvests in a century to farmers feeding cattle their winter stores early.
They dig into the government's new "Let's Save Water" public information campaign, warning that at current usage England could be short of 5 billion litres of water a day by 2055, and discuss why the messaging is finally landing with the public.
Tim also shares three water-saving tips you won't hear in the official campaign — including turning off the tap while washing hands, keeping a bucket in the shower for greywater reuse, and (for the adventurous) a no-flush compost toilet trick.
Reach and audience
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 7 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
13
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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