South West Water is urging third party contractors across its region to dial before they dig and check for assets to avoid potentially extreme damage.

South West Water maintains around 19,000km of underground water pipes and these are at constant risk of damage by people digging without knowing what’s below them or taking adequate precautions.

Millions of holes are dug every day across the country and severe damage can be caused if workers don’t check for existing assets before they begin digging. The water company said the potential cost of repairs, fines and fees are significant and likely to cause lengthy delays to a project.

Mark Hillson, Director of Drinking Water Services at South West Water, said:

“On average, we experience around 100 incidents caused by third party damage every year.

“Water in our pipes is under pressure and damaged pipes could cause injury to workers or people around them, as well as harm to the surrounding area and natural environment. On top of this, it can cause disruptions to our customers’ water supplies in the communities we serve.

“That’s why we’ve created an information flyer to explain how we can help trace a water main or discuss a main diversion to avoid the unwanted and avoidable damage caused by these incidents.”

Chris Daly, Group Leader - Strategic Development Management at Cornwall Council, said:

“Disruption to water supplies or damage to wastewater networks can create significant inconvenience for residents of Cornwall, sometimes for days.

“We welcome this proactive approach by South West Water to create easy to use guidance for contractors and teams working across Cornwall, to enable them to locate any water pipes running beneath a site before work starts.”

Contractors can dial before they dig by calling South West Water on 0344 346 1010 (between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and 9am-1pm Saturday) or 0344 346 2020 (for emergencies outside these hours)