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.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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