The work has already attracted interest from other councils, and a bid is being submitted for a share of a Department for Transport fund to further develop data collection.

There are more than 122,000 gullies in West Sussex – which usually attract attention only when the skies open.

"All are emptied at least once a year, but the aim of the mapping scheme is to pinpoint those that might need more regular attention to keep them free of silt and other blockages, as well as those which could be emptied less frequently," a council spokesman explained.

"It will also identify areas where parked cars have hampered gully emptying machines in the past, and a return visit is necessary to carry out the work."

The system was also being used to compile information about the capacity of the pipe work which took the water from the road gullies, to make sure they had a large-enough diameter to cope with severe rain such as the scale that led to severe flooding in Tewkesbury and Hull.

Cllr Derek Whittington, the county cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: "We have developed a mapping system showing the location of every gully, each of which has a unique reference number.

"The system contains a vast amount of information and will help with identifying and dealing with regular troublespots, as well as plan more effectively for the future so we are better prepared to deal with the heavy rainfalls experienced over the past few years."



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