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Burst Water Main Affects 7,000 Cheltenham Homes & GCHQ!

A burst water main in the Cheltenham area that took place on October 30th disrupted the water supply to 7,000 homes, saw 17 schools close and even had an impact on nearby GCHQ, the country’s spy centre.

 

Severn Trent Water has issued an apology to its customers but didn’t say how long it would take to fix the issue, with engineers digging beneath ground to resolve the situation, the Daily Mail reports. A local Asda store also had to shut its doors and a local branch of Morrisons ran out of bottled water just one hour after the leak.

 

In response, Severn Trent also set up sites in the area to hand out bottled water to locals, with a spokesman from the company apologising for the inconvenience and saying the company is doing all it can to get the water supply back on.

 

“We know there are still customers with no water, and some who are seeing it coming and going as we’re working to restore the supply for everyone,” the representative said at the time.

 

A spokesman from GCHQ made further comments, saying that the centre was affected by the burst water main but that it had strong contingency plans in place that made sure the work being done to keep the country safe was unaffected.

 

Earlier this year, a Guardian investigation found that the amount of water leaking from water company pipes each day hasn’t dropped for at least four years – even though water suppliers constantly ask their customers to try and save water.

 

What’s more, some companies in the south and east of England have even been given leak reduction targets of zero for 2020, or even those that could potentially see leakages increase. Critics say the system puts the burden of saving water on people, even though 20 per cent of all water leaks out before it reaches homes and businesses around the country.

 

Dry conditions seen this year have also prompted suppliers to ask customers to save water by taking steps like making sure dishwashers and washing machines are fully loaded when in use. But Ofwat data shows that there are more than three billion litres of water leaks each and every day – a level that hasn’t changed in four years at least and which is just seven per cent lower than that seen back in 2000.

 

“The fact that water companies have made no progress in reducing water leakage over the past four years highlights the lack of focus and pressure from government on this issue. It is unfair that consumers are being asked to save water when companies are set unambitious targets,” shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman said back in May.

 

The majority of leaks take place out of sight, either so small that they’re hard to notice or because they’re hidden underground… and this can prove costly for businesses. If you want to find out more about water leak detection, get in touch with us today call 01924 387 873 or email info@h2obuildingservices.co.uk

 

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