Frustration as Thames Water Roadworks Overrun

Council leader writes to company about Wandsworth High Street

Traffic in the area has been consistently bad during the road closures. Picture: Wandsworth Council

November 12, 2024

The extension of work to repair a leaking water main under Wandsworth High Street has resulted in a frustrated response from the local council leader.

Cllr Simon Hogg has written to Chris Weston, the CEO of Thames Water, to express his frustration at the overrun of the work which is expected to continue through this week have originally been scheduled to end last Friday (8 November).

As well as resulting in reduced water pressure for many homes in the area, including in Putney, the work has caused even more severe congestion at a time when traffic was already heavy due to the issues cause by the traffic lights project near Putney Bridge.

Cllr Hogg said in his letter, “Residents and businesses are rightly angry that the works will be extended for another week. They have shown remarkable patience throughout these works, enduring interrupted water supply, restricted access and increased congestion. These continued delays are completely unacceptable given the serious effect they are having on the local economy and community life.

“Thames Water must prioritise these repairs and take every measure possible to ensure works are completed on time.

“We expect improved communication from Thames Water with the Council and the public, providing timely and accurate updates. You must be transparent with local people about this extension, updating your webpage with the exact date you will complete the repairs by, and make a concerted effort to get your updates seen and heard by our residents. So far, we have not seen the level of communication that we would expect.”

Thames Water said that it repaired the leaking mains water pipe last Tuesday (5 November) and started slowly feeding water back into the system. However, this led to more leaks on a different section of the pipe which also required repair. The exact location of these leaks was not identified until Friday (8 November).

To maintain supply, Thames says it is diverting water from other parts of the network and using water tankers to pump more water into the system. Low water pressure continues to affect homes across the area, particularly those on high floors which rely on pressure being maintained for supply. Thames is warning issues may continue during peak periods.

Work on the repair is being carried out 24-hours a day but the job is described as complex and the water mains pipe runs parallel to other utilities including a gas mains pipe which means there would be safety concerns if the work was rushed.

The company now saw the leaks will be repaired by Wednesday (13 November) but the restoration of service will be done slowly to avoid the risk of another burst or leak. Water pressures should slowly return over the following few days as the pipe refills.

Road closures and diversions will be removed once the repair is completed although this also may take a few days to ensure that the flow of traffic is managed safely .

Cllr Hogg told Mr Weston that he wants to see comprehensive support for the homes and businesses that have been affected, and an improved offer of compensation for those residents facing persistent water supply issues.

He told him, “It is unacceptable that our residents are having to cope with low or no water pressure in their homes and rely on bottled water deliveries. We do not feel that the offer of up to £60 per day is adequate given how long local people have suffered, and we want this support provided proactively, without residents needing to apply. “

The 36-inch trunk main under Wandsworth High Street. Picture: Thames Water

Cllr Hogg said, “These delays are completely unacceptable and we’re pushing Thames Water daily to speed these works up. This disruption is causing significant traffic chaos, and we are fully aware of the impact these delays have on the lives of our residents. It is unacceptable that our residents are having to cope with low or no water pressure in their homes and rely on bottled water deliveries.

“Thames Water’s priority must be restoring the water supply to residents in the north of the borough, and reinstating normal access to the roads as quickly as possible.

"We have written to Thames Water and will keep pressing until this work is completed to the standard our community deserves.”

Thames Water is providing compensation worth up to £60 a day to affected households and the council is encouraging residents to claim this support if they’re eligible. Claim compensation here.