Minister urged to intervene in Thames Water row

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Wandsworth calls on Enviroment Minister to intervene for residents in Southfields tower block...........

The council is calling upon Environment Minister Ian Pearson to intervene in a row with Thames Water that has left a group of leaseholders in a Southfields tower block out of pocket after the company cut water pressure in the area.

The council has been involved in a long-running dispute with Thames Water over the company's refusal to reimburse leaseholders in William Harvey House in Whitlock Drive for a share of the cost of installing a water booster pump in their block.

The pump was installed in July 2005 following complaints from residents on the top floor of the 14 storey block that their water supply did not work in the early hours of the morning residents. One leaseholder complained that she was regularly unable to fill a kettle between 11pm and 7am.

The council has been fighting on behalf of the leaseholders because housing officials firmly believe that the loss of supply to this block was caused by Thames Water's decision to cut water pressure in the area at times of low demand.

Over the past two years the company has begun initiating a policy under its 'Network Improvement Programme' of cutting water pressure across wide areas of London at times of low demand.

The company argues that higher water pressure levels put a strain on its ageing infrastructure and causes leaks and burst mains. To combat this, it has embarked on a policy of reducing water pressure through its system whenever possible. Typically this occurs in the early hours of the morning when very few people are using their taps – and when the build up of pressure is at its height.

Just a few months after the booster pump was fitted to William Harvey House, Thames Water announced it was cutting water pressure to the area under its 'Network Improvement Programme'.

Following this announcement, the council negotiated a financial settlement with the company for leaseholders in other blocks in the area who would be affected by this change. Thames Water agreed to pay half the cost of installing booster pumps in these blocks and also make available interest free five year loans on the remaining 50 per cent of the cost

But company chiefs have point-blank refused to offer the same deal to the William Harvey House leaseholders. They argue that the water supply problems to this block were due to "high demand".

 
In response to their refusal the council is now reporting the matter to the water regulator Ofwat and will also be writing to Mr Pearson, who has ministerial responsibility for the water industry, calling on him to intervene.

The council's executive member for housing Cllr Martin D Johnson condemned the company's "intransigence" and said he hoped the minister and Ofwat would be able to force a re-think.

He added: "Thames Water are attempting to defend the indefensible. Their explanations simply do not add up. It is extremely disappointing that they have refused to face up to their responsibilities and instead just tried to wash their hands of this whole issue. All our efforts to persuade them to see sense and be reasonable have been met with a stone wall.

"Now we are calling on the industry regulator and the minister to step in and thoroughly investigate this matter. We strongly believe that Thames Water should make a financial contribution to help these leaseholders who have been literally left high and dry by the company’s policies.

"We would also welcome the regulator's scrutiny of the company's claims that the problems with the supply to this block are down to high demand. Quite why the area should be experiencing such high water usage in the early hours of the morning when virtually everyone is asleep has not been satisfactorily explained to us or the leaseholders.

"When the pump was installed in the summer of 2005, Thames Water told us that the problem was caused by excessive demand in the area and had nothing to do with them cutting water pressure in a bid to safeguard their pipes and mains from bursting and leaking.

"Yet little over three months later, this was exactly what they announced they would be doing in the area around William Harvey House.  It seems quite apparent to me that they were either already reducing the pressure at night or else they were having to cut it because the high pressure was causing too many leaks and bursts in the area. Whichever scenario it was Thames Water was clearly responsible and they should make the appropriate gesture to these leaseholders."

 

March 1, 2007