Broken Water Main – Thames Water Admit Error

Published on: 1 Apr, 2013
Updated on: 1 Apr, 2013

This photo of the leaking water was taken on March 27th – six days after SCC had given Thames Water permission to carry out a repair.

Thames Water has admitted to The Guildford Dragon NEWS that its claim that it was waiting for permission from Surrey County Council (SCC) before repairing a broken water main on Old Palace Road was not true.

The mistake came to light following enquiries made by SCC Cllr Fiona White (Lib Dem, Guildford West). She told The Guildford Dragon: “I have phoned Thames Water again this morning and got hold of a much more helpful person. I think the situation is still very much as set out in your article. However, I have been given some timings as follows:

15th March – Leak reported and inspection carried out
20th March – Report that the tarmac is breaking up and repairs are needed quickly
21st March – Permission to work on the road given by Surrey CC.”

The report of this conversation reveals that permission was given by Surrey County Council seven days before a Thames Water spokesman reported to The Guildford Dragon that it was still waiting for permission.

A spokesperson for Thames Water has today said: “Checks have revealed that we were given permission by SCC to carry out this repair as reported to Fiona White.

“We apologise for any confusion. The repair has been marked as urgent and we hope to be able to carry it out tomorrow (Tuesday, April 2nd).”

Cllr White later added: “I have phoned Surrey’s highways engineers … [they] agreed that Thames Water could have dealt with it as an emergency and got retrospective consent afterwards. It will be chased up with the local Street Works team tomorrow”

Meanwhile the other water leaks reported in The Guildford Dragon News continue to flow unabated.

Water leaking in Walnut Tree Close…

…and another leak on the gyratory

Responses to Broken Water Main – Thames Water Admit Error

Bernard Parke Reply

April 1, 2013 at 3:46 pm

Why should we have to report these issues when it is obvious to these people that there is a serious leak ?

How much road salt has been used and how much has had to be paid out in overtime to the staff doing this job every day?

Surely this is just not acceptable!