Concerns about Woking water leaks

The leader of Woking Borough Council, Clr Ann-Marie Barker has written to Affinity Water after a large number of water leaks occurred across Woking in recent weeks.
Substantial leaks that have had knock effects to residents include;

- Burst in Bampton Way, Goldsworth Park, causing disruption to local traffic and impacting a well used bus route
- Burst water main on Arthur's Bridge Road in Horsell
- significant leak affecting residents of Colliers Close
- burst main on Chertsey Road in Woking. This is the main road into Woking from the M25, which was closed for a week

Also highlighted were small leaks reoccurring or where repairs have been made and bring left to increase in magnitude. A major water main burst at the ambulance station near St Peters at the end of last month and the road was closed for days. There is another leak there that had been a small puddle for a few weeks. Today the rate of flow of that leak had increased significantly and I have since heard that part of the road has been coned off.

Two weeks ago a leak was reported on Littlewick Road another important through route, connecting Horsell to Knaphill and Goldsworth Park. It was a small puddle it is now quite a large puddle of water, which extends down the road. Earlier this week saw vehicles driving through and splashing water all over the pavement and into the homes of residents who have suffered burst water mains on this road on a number of occasions in the past. This leak is yet to be repaired.

Raising these examples with Affinity Water, Clr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council said:

"Our local roads are being severely disrupted, causing hold-ups and diversions that inevitably mean higher C02 emissions and increased fuel costs. Local people have had water supply cuts or limited supply. Residents have told me of their concerns about the loss of water at a time when a drought has been declared across the South East.

This level of disruption to our area cannot continue.

What are you doing to prevent this unacceptable level of leaks in future?"

Notes: The Lib Dems have previously highlighted the shocking loss of water through leaks and have called for bonus' to be withheld from water company executives.
Water companies have only promised to halve leaks by 2050 despite predictions of a rise in summer droughts as record temperatures continue to be broken.
England's water company bosses have awarded themselves almost £27 million in bonuses over the past two years, despite reports they allow a staggering 2.4 billion litres of water to be leaked every day.