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36,000 Water Pipe Leaks In London In 6.5 Years
Water conservation is an increasingly urgent topic and businesses and homeowners alike should perhaps start thinking about how they can reduce their usage in order to protect this precious resource… and a big part of this will involve water leak detection.
The majority of leaks are so small that they’re barely even noticeable, or they’re hidden beneath ground, so they can be very difficult to find… and all too often you will only know that you have a leak when you start to see water damage or if you experience a sudden hike in your water bill.
Analysis of water company data in the capital has just revealed that water pipes in London have burst and leaked 36,000 times in the last six and a half years, with businesses in Hammersmith saying they think leaks have caused damage to their basements, the BBC reports.
Speaking to the news source, local chemist Bahman Moghaddam explained he couldn’t store medicines in his basement because of the damp issues, although he did say it has improved since Thames Water replaced the main water piping.
The water supplier is now working on replacing all its water pipes (which date back to Victorian times) and is also coming up with new ways to prevent major incidents before they take place.
Head of water networks at Thames Water Tim McMahon said: “There are over 50 reasons why a pipe might burst. When water temperature gets below eight degrees you see an increase in bursts. Central London has clay soil, which attacks the pipes, and also has heavy traffic … Money is not an issue. Over the last year and the next two years, our board has committed to spending over £200 million on proactively finding and fixing leaks.”
Over time, even the smallest of leaks can turn into a huge problem for you and your business, risking major repair bills for water damage and seeing water bills soar because of the amount being wasted. Leaks are in fact a leading cause of unnecessary costs where your bills are concerned, but bringing in a water consultancy firm to identify these leaks quickly and effectively means potential problems can be solved before they spiral out of control.
Damage to water pipes is very common and there’s not much you can do to prevent it from happening over time, whether it’s down to accidental damage, heavy vibration from traffic, weather erosion, age or damage caused by animals.
Because your pipes are hidden away in walls and ceiling cavities, or underground outside, detection and repair can be tricky and often leaks aren’t even spotted until significant damage has already taken place. This can be very costly indeed to sort out so it’s best to be as proactive as you can to help reduce your water wastage and ensure you don’t have problems like fungal growth, rotten wood and so on to deal with.
If you want to find out more about how we can help, get in touch with us today.