Water flows in Crookham amid heatwave as broken pipe remains unfixed
Water has been flowing from a damaged pipe in Crookham as the heatwave continues to sweep the country.
The pipe, just off Crookham Common Road, has been "bubbling out of the ground" for over a month and has been reported by multiple residents in the area.
As temperatures are set to reach 39 degrees in West Berkshire today (Tuesday) the flowing water –at an "appalling rate of loss" – has become of increasing concern.
Robin Weihs, who has lived in the district for more than 30 years, first noticed the leaking water, near his home of seven years, in May and reported it to Thames Water immediately.
He said: “I wandered up there and the ground was all wet so I had a look and came across a leak."
Mr Weihs reported the incident to Thames Water on May 21.
“I went to read my metre four or five days later and there was a Thames Water man looking for it," he added.
“I showed him where it was, he painted blue lines around it and then he disappeared.
“The [leak] then appeared on the Thames Water site where it said the situation was more complicated.”
Thames Water’s reported incidents page stated that it would take “slightly longer to carry out the repair” due to the “complexity” of the damaged pipe.
The statement continued: “We're working as quickly and safely as possible to get this sorted."
Despite the utility company acknowledging the damaged pipe, the incident later “disappeared” from its website.
Mr Weihs said: “I rang them but they said they knew about it and that it was all in hand.”
He was told the problem would be solved by early July but saw no action taken. He reported the leak again and saw "another man" come to assess the area and “paint more blue lines”.
Mr Wiehs said the pipe then began "leaking even more" after a nearby resident, who had no water to his property, had his problems fixed.
He commented on another resident who has had water flowing into her garden and said she also reported the problem.
He added: “I just don’t understand why they can’t do anything about it.”
Mr Weihs said he has received texts from the company about conserving water, all the while not having his problem fixed. “It is unbelievable,” he commented.
Thames Water had planned fix the leak on July 12 but moved the date due to "other leaks and bursts" in the area that were called in that day and required “urgent attention”.
It is looking at “replanning this work” but the water continues to flow.