Pipes leak water as ban starts (From Witney Gazette)

Pipes leak water as ban starts

9:00am Wednesday 5th April 2006 in Witney By Nione Meakin

ALMOST one billion litres of water are lost by Thames Water every day because of leaky pipes, it has emerged.

Just before the hosepipe and sprinkler ban hit eight million customers in the Thames Valley on Monday, Environment Minister, Elliot Morley, revealed that the company lost 915 megalitres every day in 2004/5.

This is almost twice the amount wasted by Midlands supplier, Severn Trent, which lost 502 megalitres the second largest amount.

Thames Water spokesman, Robin Markwell, said the loss was predominantly in the London area, where 800 megalitres were wasted.

He said: "It's only in London that we have a real challenge with leakage because of an ageing pipe network.

"We have already replaced 150 miles of pipework, and by 2010, we plan to have replaced 1,000 miles.

"I'm finding, as an MP, that Thames Water spends a lot of time arguing the toss about who is responsible for a leak, without fixing it."

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey

"Across Oxfordshire, the leakage rate is comparable with the rest of the UK, and we are meeting our target of not wasting more than 115 megalitres per year."

Mr Markwell added that a hosepipe ban would still have been necessary, even if the leakage rate was lower.

He said: "The over-riding reason is because of the prolonged drought. The leakage hasn't helped but it's not the main reason."

Thames Water is planning to build a new £1bn reservoir on land between Steventon and Wantage, to address increasing water demand.

But Mr Morley called on water suppliers to improve their efficiency before applying for permission for the reservoirs a view shared by Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.

Mr Vaizey said: "Thames Water is going to find it very hard to argue its case for a reservoir unless it's doing as much as possible to reduce its leakage.

"I'm finding, as an MP, that Thames Water spends a lot of time arguing the toss about who is responsible for a leak, without fixing it."

Thames Water has repeatedly come under fire from Oxfordshire residents for its slow response to dealing with leaks in the county.

On New Year's Day, thousands of homes in Witney were without water after a water main burst in Station Lane, Witney, flooding the nearby Tesco Express and Esso petrol station.

The figures were disclosed in a written Parliamentary answer as Thames Water was preparing to bring in its hosepipe ban on Monday.