PR1769

29th October 2007

New water mains Shephall

Work to replace ageing water mains that are at risk of bursting is soon to begin in Kymswell Road followed by Hyde Green South, Stevenage on 1 st November and could take 11 months to complete.

Three Valleys Water is investing £2million to upgrade the network of underground water mains which carry vital supplies of tap water each day to homes, businesses and schools in Shephall, Stevenage.

Most of the existing water mains were laid when the new town was built and although they have given many years of service they are reaching the end of their useful lives. The majority of these pipes are cast iron and some sections have corroded and begun to weaken, which has made them vulnerable to leaks and bursts. Between 1999 and 2004 the sections of pipes identified for replacement in this area burst 70 times and unless they are replaced, computer modelling has shown that there will be at least a further 36 bursts before 2010. By replacing targeted sections of the water mains network, Three Valleys Water hopes to the inconvenience caused by burst mains and ensure that they can continue to supply tap water to local people.

The work, which is being carried out on behalf of Three Valleys Water by their contractor, Enterprise plc, and starts in early November will affect parts of the following streets: Ashleigh, Baddely Close, Shephall Way (from the junction of Beech Drive to Hydean Way), Barnwell, Beech Drive, Breakspear (from Hydean Way to Wortham Way), Colts Corner, Colewell Road, Elm Walk, Godfrey Close, Hayley Common, Hyde Green South, Hydean Way cul de sac, Hyde Green East, Hyde Green North, Wigram Way, Kymswell Road, Long Hyde, MacKenzie Square, Oxleys Road, Paddocks Close, Randals Hill, Rudd Close, School Close, The, The Hyde shopping centre, The Paddocks, The Ridings, Unwin Place, Unwin Road, Warners Close, Wortham Way

Andy Smith, Managing Director of Three Valleys Water, said: “This water mains renewal scheme in Shephall is part of a much larger investment programme to maintain and renew our underground pipe network to provide a reliable water supply to our customers. Without this investment the mains would continue to deteriorate, causing bursts, leaks and disruption to the local community. We are working closely with Hertfordshire County Council Highways Authority to try to keep traffic disruption to a minimum.”

All residents affected by this scheme will be contacted by Three Valleys Water in advance of work in their street and throughout the scheme. Vulnerable and elderly customers are also being encouraged to notify the company of their special needs by registering on the Safeguard scheme by applying online or contacting the call centre on 0845 782 3333. Residents and road users will be notified of any traffic management arrangements in due course.

Three Valleys Water would like to remind customers in the area to be aware of Bogus Callers claiming to be from the water company during this time. The company operates strict rules about employees wearing clearly recognisable uniforms and presenting identity cards when they call.

Ends

For further information please contact Public Relations, tel: 01707 277110, fax: 01707 277213, website: www.3valleys.co.uk

Note to Editors:

Due to the narrow width of the roads in this area there will be a large number of partial road closures, details of which will be available nearer the time. All residents will be informed in advance and there will be street signs to give local people early warning. Where ever possible we will try to provide access to properties, although we would advise customers to leave extra time for their journeys.

The work taking place before Christmas will focus on the streets which do not require a closure and will involve two way traffic lights.

Where possible we will use trenchless technology to install the new mains, which means residents will see a series of holes in the street, rather than a continuous trench. This work will also include an interruption to the water supply for up to a maximum of 12 hours for some customers.

About us
Three Valleys Water has been supplying water to the local community for more than 130 years and is committed to delivering a high quality water service to all its customers . It now provides over 870 million litres of water each day to three million customers, in parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon and parts of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, and Enfield. The supply area covers a total of 3,700 square kilometres, stretching from Luton and Royston in the north to Guildford in the south, and from Berkhamsted in the west to Dunmow in the east.

Three Valleys Water is the UK’s largest water supply only company and is part of Veolia Water, the world leader in water and wastewater management. If you spot a leak call the Leakspotters hotline on 0800 376 5325 or use our online leakage form