Working to plug leaks
The number of burst pipes in the region almost doubled during what the Met Office said was the coldest December since records began.
A total of 495 burst mains were reported along our 13,600 kilometres of water mains, compared with 269 in November.
Pipes are more prone to bursting in freezing conditions because sub zero temperatures cause ground movement, putting pressure on the pipes.
Repairs teams worked around-the-clock to maintain supplies, where possible, and limit the amount of water lost.
The three biggest incidents occurred over the Christmas and New Year period.
- In Sandown on the Isle of Wight a burst main, followed by numerous leaks, unfortunately caused some customers to lose their water supply over Christmas.
- A burst in Wrotham Road, Meopham, Kent, caused a large crater to appear in the road and, regrettably, some residents had to be evacuated. We remain in direct contact with residents and the authorities to minimise the impact on customers.
- A burst 15-inch main in Woolborough Lane, Crawley, West Sussex, caused some localised flooding on January 5. Fixing this was a complex job because of other utility pipes in the ground.
We are half way through our £20 million programme to reduce leaks across our network of water mains. As part of our leak reduction programme, we have already:
- Increased our leak detection team by more than 50 per cent, to more than 200 staff – with more to come. These teams work around to clock to find and fix leaks.
- Started a project to replace 50 kilometres of ageing water mains during 2010/11. Mains replacements will continue over the next five years.
- Launched our universal metering programme, which will see water meters with leak alarms installed in the majority of homes in the South East from 2010 to 2015. The alarms are expected to save up to five million litres of water per day.
Meanwhile, anyone who spots a burst pipe or a leak can call us free on 0800 820 999.
To find out more about the work of Southern Water, see our annual Stakeholder Report.
