Good quality water is essential for life. It not only keeps you alive but helps you look good, feel great and is a natural source of energy for the brain and body. That's why Three Valleys Water is spending £140 million (from 2005-10) on improving the water mains, which includes the replacement of more than 640kms of underground water pipes in parts of North London and Hertfordshire, Essex and Bucks.
Many of these pipes were laid in the 1930's and at 70 years of age are in need of a replacing. They are made from iron and are laid in heavy clay soil that eats into the metal causing corrosion. This corrosion weakens the structure of the pipe and over time this results in small holes and cracks appearing. As the water leaks through these holes and cracks, the pipe becomes even weaker and this can result in a burst water main.
When a water main bursts we have to repair it as quickly as possible, as the escaping water is a potential threat to public safety and can damage property and the environment. This usually means emergency work to dig up the road or pavement, and can lead to the water supply being turned off for a while without notification to customers. It can also mean traffic disruption.
We are replacing these old iron water mains with new plastic pipes so that we can provide you with a reliable supply of drinking water and reduce the disruption caused to your community, when a water main bursts. Our aim is to:
Reduce the amount of water lost through leaks and bursts
Reduce the number of times we have to interrupt the water supply to customers for us to carry out emergency repairs
Reduce traffic disruption caused during repair work
Reduce the number of times we need to dig up the road and pavements
