10:12am Thursday 26th September 2002
By David Langton
FED-UP residents are considering calling out a private plumber to fix a leaking water pipe after Thames Water warned it may not be able to remedy the problem until the end of October.
Water has been pouring from a crack in a driveway off St Francis Road, Studley Green, 24 hours a day, seven days a week since the end of August with around 45,000 litres so far down the drain. Algae is now beginning to grow along the surface of the road.
But Thames Water say they will not be able to fix the leak, which is pouring into drains at the bottom of the road, until October 23. By then almost 100,000 litres could have been wasted.
Paul Gotch, a resident in the road, said: "It is going on all day and all night. It seems to me quite incredible, what we need to do is get a plumber in and send the bill to Thames Water."
The water company say the leak has sprung at the exact point where responsibility changes hand from them to the home owner.
A spokesman for the company said: "We carry out one complimentary repair with 'customer side leaks' even though it is not our responsibility.
"The customer can either have us do the leak for free or get their own plumber.
"In this instance we had to add this job to our schedule of jobs."
Sue Fawthrop, who owns the drive where the leak has sprung reported the problem back in August.
She said: "They don't seem to be overly concerned about the waste of water.
"I don't think the water is pouring out but there is a steady stream and if there was to be a frost it would be quite dangerous as it is going down the footpath."
Mr Gotch added: "It is a nuisance to everybody and it could be destroying the road surface."
Mrs Fawthrop added that she understood Thames Water needed to prioritise jobs but said the wait seemed excessive.
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