Road dug up fourteen times
Tuesday July 28, 2009
Thames Water bosses are refusing to replace two leaking water mains in Hammersmith - despite digging them up an incredible 14 times in the last year.
Residents living in Richmond Way, Hammersmith, are furious that the latest leak has occurred less than a week after the pipes were supposedly fixed.
During this most recent incident, the road was closed to motorists for almost a month.
While Thames Water has carried out some remedial work to the section of road between Sinclair Gardens and Addison Gardens, a stretch of only 200 metres, the company has stopped short of fully replacing the pipe. To the disbelief of residents, traders and council bosses, the water giant does not think the problem is serious enough to warrant replacing the `at risk' main and would rather repeatedly dig up the road.
Now the council is proposing a permit scheme to control roadworks.
Furious resident Bobby Pugh, who lives and works in Richmond Way, said: "This is a disgrace and is down to the incompetence of the people filling in the road. Three times in a month they brought in maintenance equipment that was too heavy and actually crushed the mains. I draw the line when my wife - who is seven months pregnant - is being disturbed by the noise of the repair work."
Now H&F Council bosses have joined forces with disgruntled residents and treaders to voice their dismay at Thames Water's refusal to replace the broken pipe.
H&F cabinet member Nick Botterill told h&f news: "We have asked Thames Water, in the strongest terms possible, to replace the whole main on numerous occasion, but each time our calls are ignored.
"It is unacceptable that residents and businesses should have to put up with this constant disruption on a stretch of road that is just an eighth of a mile long. We have written to Thames Water demanding answers."
Meanwhile Illa Mahmood who runs Illa's Flowers in Richmond Way, said the constant repair work was especially hard to take during the recession. She said: "I feel terrible. Business is so quiet at the moment, very few people are visiting the shop and I can't get the delivery lorries to park up outside. This is having such a negative impact on my business. Times are tough enough at the moment that I really do not need these problems as well. The digging has even interrupted my business's internet connection."
In response, a Thames Water spokesman said: "We apologise to residents and businesses who have been affected by the recent bursts. We have to replace water mains in order of priority. While Richmond Way is on our register, there are currently other streets in greater need of work at the moment."
