The freezing weather conditions have sparked a 50 per cent increase in bursts and leaks on Thames Water’s pipes across London and the Thames Valley.
Thames are tackling the problems but heavy snow has prevented many of its staff from getting into work. Thames said that it was prioritising jobs in order of severity as a result of the increased workload. The snow is also making it more difficult for the company’s engineers to travel round the region.
Pipes burst in cold weather for two main reasons:
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When water in reservoirs cools below 4 degrees Celsius and enters the mains - especially ageing cast-iron ones, which form a major part of London’s water infrastructure - they contract and, in some cases, break.
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Freezing weather can also cause ground movement, putting added pressure on pipes which may have previously suffered hairline cracks from the weight of traffic driving over them - particularly applicable in London.
Enpure Ltd and Clean TeQ Water Ltd have announced a collaboration agreement to bring Clean TeQ Water's Moving Bed Ion Exchange-based nutrient removal technologies to water utilities across the UK.
Near-real-time microbial monitoring of wastewater discharge and bathing waters is now possible thanks to the BactoSense ID solution created by Swiss-based bNovate Technologies.
ABB has launched AquaMaster+™, a digital platform for smart water network management, designed to help water utilities monitor, analyze and manage their water networks, preventing pipeline water losses and optimizing operations.
Craig Nienaber, Business Development Manager for Safe Access Solutions (SAS) at HUBER Technology, explores why the company is seeing a growing level of interest in its safe access solutions for critical infrastructure providers, including their application in wastewater treatment assets.
Southern Water has released film and images showing what it’s like to walk inside Hampshire’s expanded Yew Hill underground reservoir for the very last time, before it gets filled with water.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.