£2m to stop water wastage

A water supplier to Hertfordshire, Essex and Bedfordshire among others, is set to carry out repair works on its infrastructure to minimise waste.

Three Valleys Water, which provides 3.2 million people with a total 900 million litres of water a day, is investing £2 million in upgrading the mains network in Stevenage.

According to a spokesman for the company, the pipes, which are made of cast iron are reaching the end of their life cycle, with corrosion starting to affect their structural integrity.

These weaknesses have been manifest in repeated burst mains, with 70 reported between 1999 and 2004.

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 Highways to try to keep traffic disruption to a minimum.