Monday, January 5, 2015

SEVERN TRENT WATER CALLED OUT TO 150 WATER PIPE BURSTS IN TWO WEEKS IN LEICESTER AND LEICESTERSHIRE, UK



SEVERN TRENT WATER CALLED OUT TO 150 WATER PIPE BURSTS IN TWO WEEKS IN LEICESTER AND LEICESTERSHIRE, UK
By Leicester Mercury  |  Posted: January 05, 2015
By Samantha Fisher


Severn Trent has been busy fixing burst water pipes across Leicester and Leicestershire
More than 150 water pipes have burst in the past two weeks in the city and county.
Severn Trent has seen an increase in leaks and bursts possibly caused by the ground shrinking and expanding as it freezes and thaws due to changes in temperature.
Severn Trent was called out to a burst water pipe on Christmas Eve where the team had to work overnight to fix a leak in Packington, Leicestershire.
Workers also had to battle through the snow on Boxing Day to bring water to people in Bradgate Street and Blackbird Road, Leicester.

Jayne Dane, customer service duty officer from Severn Trent Water, said: "We were called out to a block of flats in Bradgate Street and Blackbird Road where customers had lost their water supply.
“It turned out that the issue was on the property itself, so we’re unable to fix it and we had to leave that up to the property maintenance team.
“We couldn’t leave our customers without water, even if it’s not our responsibility to do the repair, and especially not at Christmas.
“As a gesture of goodwill, our teams of engineers battled through the heavy snow to deliver free supplies of bottled water to everyone affected.
“We know it’s not the best situation, but at least the residents had water to use until the repairs were done.”
One resident affected by the leak said: “A big thank you to Severn Trent Water for stepping up and getting water to us.
“We do really appreciate what Severn Trent Water has done.”
A spokeswoman from Severn Trent Water said: “As the weather has become very cold over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen a slight increase in the number of leaks and bursts on water pipes reported to us in the Leicestershire area.
“Over the last two weeks, we’ve had nearly 150 burst pipes and leaks reported to us in the Leicestershire area, and our teams have been ready and waiting to get out and fix them.
“We really want people to let us know when there’s a problem, even if it’s not affecting their water supply. We take leakage very seriously, and as well as not wanting to waste water, we don’t want escaping water to freeze and become dangerous.
“The sooner we know about a leak or burst, the sooner we can fix it, no matter what time of the day or night.”
Jamie Turner and Bob Hall, who have been finding and fixing leaks across Leicestershire for over 30 years combined, are urging the public to report water pipe leaks.
They said: “The weather forecasters are predicting that it’s going to turn cold and we’re expecting to see frost and ice.
“In many cases, we don’t know where leaks are until our customers report them. Please don’t assume we already know about the burst or leak, even if it’s a large one - particularly in rural areas where it’s possible for leaks to run for days without being noticed.
“Customers will often spot a leak before we can and we’re always grateful for your help.”
If you spot a leak call 0800 783 4444, the call is free on most landlines. Or report the leak using at stwater.co.uk/reportaleak.