Road chaos and big bills in the pipeline

A major initiative has been unveiled to tackle the huge scale of water leaks in London.

The move follows Thames Water's shaming as Britain's most inefficient water company, leaking 925 million litres a day - equivalent to 266 litres per customer.

But the work will cause major road delays, although the company will try to co-ordinate digging with other utility providers.

Thames is also seeking to increase average household bills by 40 per cent, adding an extra ?80 to demands by 2009. Under the ?600 million plan there will be major replacement work in five boroughs - Camden, Westminster, Brent, Islington and Kensington and Chelsea.

Assuming regulator Ofwat approves, most of the work will be in Camden where 220 miles of supply pipes will be replaced by

2010.

The other four boroughs will have between a third and twothirdsof their mains replaced. These boroughs are a priority because they have clay subsoil, which corrodes the pipes.

There is also a need to preserve water, with supplies threatened by climate change and the huge population increase expected in the next 15 years.

The company says it was frustrated in previous attempts to invest in its infrastructure when Ofwat ordered bills to be cut by 11 per cent four years ago. Now it hopes permission will be given for the increase in bills to pay for the programme. Ofwat is due to announce its decision next month.

Mike Tempest, Thames Water's engineering director, said: "Now is the time to concentrate on modernising the basic pipes in the ground, the bedrock of our service.

"This work is essential to ensure our customers continue to receive all the water they need. Further delays would only store up problems.

"Though it will inevitably involve some short-term pain, the work will bring many longterm benefits - crucially a reduction in the potential for bursts and leaks - minimising the need for more streetworks."