WATER PRESSURE DROP COULD COST HOMEOWNERS THOUSANDS

6.23.13pm GMT Tue 25th Jan 2005

London Assembly Liberal Democrat member, Dee Doocey, today warned that any local residents who either live above the second floor or own a property that has three or more floors, could face massive costs from installing water pumps because of Thames Waters' decision to reduce water pressure across London.

The Lib Dems are also warning that homeowners who rely on 'combination boilers' will also have to find costly alternative ways to pump water round their homes as the pressure drop will stop them working properly.

The warning came following a London Assembly Health Committee meeting in which Thames Water executives were quizzed about the effects on Londoners their proposed reduction in water pressure would have.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly Health Spokesperson, Dee Doocey, said:

"The effects of the decision by Thames Water to reduce pressure across the capital could leave many Londoners facing a bill of thousands of pounds to install a pump to boost water pressure.

"The pressure drop will also have devastating implications for schools and hospitals across the local area. It could mean money that should have been given to front line services will have to be spent to install pumps to keep water flowing around their buildings.

"It is deeply worrying that Thames Water hasn't even engaged in a proper assessment of how many people will be affected by this pressure reduction strategy or developed an estimate of the financial implications for households and local authorities across the capital. They are refusing to face up to their responsibilities as a public service provider.

"Meanwhile, water customers across the capital are left paying the price of this complacency, not once but twice. Coupled with the costs of booster pumps, water bills are also expected to rise by about 13per cent above the rate of inflation over the next five years. Being forced to pay for an appalling service whilst Thames Water continue to rake in massive profits and pay huge director salaries cannot be allowed to continue. Thames Water must be held to account."

ENDS

Notes to editor

The London Assembly Health Committee quizzed Thames Water from 10am on Tuesday 25th January at City Hall.

The water company plans to reduce water pressure in a number of areas across London during the next five years, with work expected to start in some places this spring. The aim is to reduce the amount of water lost through leaks and to reduce the number of bursts in London's ageing pipe network. Some buildings, including flats, schools and hospitals are expected to need pumps to get water up to higher floors.

During questioning by Members of the London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee, Thames Water executives admitted that the company had not investigated how much fitting pumps to high-rise properties across London would cost or how many buildings would be affected. They also stated that Thames Water is only likely to bear the cost of designing pumps and not the pump equipment or installation, which would fall to London boroughs, the NHS and homeowners.

• Combination boilers provide both instant hot water and central heating, but not at the same time. They are "hot water priority" which means when hot water is being run there is no heat output to the radiators. These boilers are ideal in smaller homes where space is at a premium or where the demand for hot water is not too great. These are not recommended for houses with more that one bathroom due to the low hot water flow rate which can only feed one tap at a time