Latest news with #waterleak
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Homemade sign pokes fun at persistent leak in Netherfield
A sign poking fun at the length of time taken to repair a persistent water leak has been making residents of a Nottinghamshire town smile since it appeared suddenly overnight "like a Banksy".The water main in Station Road, Netherfield has sprung a leak a number of times since April 2024 and was finally repaired on 15 July.A mystery joker then put up a homemade sign to commemorate the leak, which reads: "Ye Old Down the Drain Spring. Est 2024."Pip Algar, who runs a bookshop opposite the sign, said it showed that someone who lived nearby "has got a great sense of humour". "I like the fact it appeared randomly like a Banksy work does," he said."Looking out my window from time to time lots of people seem to stop and read it and take note of it and have a chuckle." He added that no one he has spoken to has confessed to placing the sign there, or admitted knowing who made Mitchell, who is also from Netherfield, said the anonymous sign-maker reflected a "British kind of attitude" in poking fun at a said: "When I first saw [the sign] I just assumed somebody had left some rubbish out to be picked up, but now I've looked at it, it's really nicely made."It's nice that somebody's seen it as a light-hearted thing rather than just getting grumpy about it." Another resident, Kevin Hatton, said the leak had become a familiar sight in Netherfield before it was repaired."We're always all over the place on the scooters, me and my lass, and it's always leaking, it's a standing joke, we're always paddling through it."A spokesperson for Severn Trent said its teams had tried to fix several leaks in Station Road since the problem was first reported in 2024, but there had been "a number of separate complex issues" at a cluster of water meter boundary spokesperson added: "Due to their [the boundary boxes'] close proximity with one another, and the fact they're within 200 metres of a railway line, we had to take more time to plan and implement the fix."[This] has led to us being at Station Road for a longer period of time."We completed our work there on 15 July and would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the works."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Ulster Hospital: People urged to avoid ED unless life-threatening
The South Eastern Health Trust has urged people not to attend its emergency department (ED) at the Ulster Hospital "unless it is a life-threatening emergency".In a social media post, the trust said it was due to a water leak in the ED waiting added that it was "working hard to resolve the problem"."We apologise for any inconvenience," the trust added, in a statement.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
How Southern Water finds underground leaks from its pipes
While water companies once again urge customers to use less, there is continued frustration from bill payers about Water supplies on average 566-million litres of drinking water every the company is losing 91-million litres daily through said it fixed record numbers last year but will have to nearly double its rate to hit a target set by Ofwat for 2030. "It's a shhhhhhhh - like a shhhh noise," says leakage technician Jon Harris. "You sort of tune in. You get used to it over the years."He has his ear pressed against a listening stick - a long metal pole with a turned wooden end."If you pick up a noise on the fitting and if you go that way and it starts to go a bit quieter then you go the other way and hopefully it gets louder."Mr Harris has been sent to investigate a suspected leak in a quiet residential close in Otterbourne, Hampshire. But there are no signs of escaping Water says about 90% of leaks are not visible from the Harris starts lifting every stopcock cover and places his stick on to the metal fittings below. It is always his left ear he presses against the pole."It's tuned in," he smiles as he walks on to the next fitting. "Nothing here." While his listening stick may seem a little primitive, the reason he has been sent is anything the company's supply works around the corner, a team of analysts are studying data from meters which constantly measure the flow of water through the system."We look at the night line - between 03:00 BST and 04:00 - where you find there is not a lot of usage within the network. Any increase within the night flow would normally be down to leakage," says Adam Tighe, leakage area manager for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. "We would analyse that data over a few nights or if there is a big spike we would react to that straight away."For the larger and busier sections of pipes, a series of acoustic loggers listen for signs of leaks sending data back to the team in technology cannot pinpoint the exact location but helps guide technicians to the rough that can prove a problem. In May, traffic in Southampton ground to a halt as Southern Water searched for a leak under a main route into the city eastbound carriageway closure of the A35 flyover led to frustration and long delays for road was eventually reopened after nearly a week without the leak being fixed. "Our last resort is to dig a hole and I think there's some real learnings from the Redbridge flyover job where we've been looking at how we can use cameras in our pipes," says head of water networks, Stephanie Davidovitz."We are pushing cameras down there to try to locate the leak."Last year Southern Water cut leakage by 18% but with Ofwat setting the company a target of a 32% reduction by 2030 emerging techniques and technologies are being explored."Finding some of those leaks is actually becoming more problematic and it's how do you get different methods in place?" said Ms Davidovitz."We're exploring leak detection dogs... [they] are going to be coming in a few weeks' time who are going to sniff out chlorine and therefore can help us sniff out leaks." The use of inactive fibre optic cables already in the ground next to water pipes is also an emerging technology in the as dark fibre leak detection, it uses a laser to detect noise at intervals along the unused micro satellites to scan the ground for signs of escaping water on the surface is another potential way for water companies to react leakage technician Mr Harris has found what he has been looking for.A tablet dissolved in the water turns the liquid pink which shows it contains chlorine and is from water pipes and not ground calculates the pipe is losing about 288 litres a day before arranging a team to fix the issue."They repair it and then the next day, after a night of doing the night line, they tell you that it's dropped the area - yeah it's a good feeling. Saves all that water." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
United Utilities responds after water flooded 8 gardens over 12 hours
A water company has responded after pipe burst yesterday, causing flooding into the night. Residents on Ainsworth Avenue in Horwich watched nervously as the water in the gardens rose – hoping it wouldn't come into their homes. (Image: Cllr Moncado-Sears) Cllr Charlotte Moncado-Sears, of Horwich north, said she was "shocked" when she saw the photos of water pooling. According to her, eight properties were affected by the leak which wasn't repaired until nearly 12 hours after starting. She said: "A resident contacted me at 5.15pm regarding a leak in her back garden that was reported to United Utilities at around 8am. "I asked the resident for a photo and was shocked at the amount of water pooling. "I attended the property and spoke to the residents, it soon became apparent that there were eight properties affected so I contacted United Utilities myself. Have a story? Get in touch at "I shared some photos/videos and within two hours they were on site rectifying the leak." United Utilities, the company in charge of the water pipes, confirmed this morning (July 3) that the leak had been fixed overnight. They said that the location of the leak complicated repairs because they needed to get permission from the homeowner and their neighbour to remove some of the fence to access the pipe. READ MORE: Households to receive up to £2,000 compensation for water service failures READ MORE: United Utilities warn over water levels in the region READ MORE: United Utilities bonuses banned after Bolton fish killed READ MORE: Back garden transformed into swimming pool after burst water pipe A United Utilities spokesperson said: "We received reports of a leak on Ainsworth Avenue, Horwich on 2 July and a leakage technician was sent to assess the problem. "Unfortunately, the location of the leak made the job less straightforward, and it was necessary to get the appropriate written permissions from both the customer and the adjoining property to remove some fence panels and dig down to isolate the water and fix the pipe. "The leak was repaired overnight, and we are grateful to the customer for their patience and understanding."
The Independent
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
French prime minister's speech interrupted by parliament leak during Paris flash floods
France's Prime Minister, Francois Bayrou, had his speech to parliament interrupted by a water leak. The leak occurred in the National Assembly's domed ceiling due to torrential storms battering Paris. Violent storms on Wednesday, 25 June, caused widespread flooding in the French capital. The assembly vice president, Roland Lescure, suspended the debate for firefighters to investigate the leak. Watch the video above.
