'MADNESS': Gallons of water left to pour into Northampton street for five weeks during hosepipe ban

Fed up resident Sharon Mc Kenna has reported the ongoing leak to Anglian Water twice which has been ongoing in Eastern Avenue North for more than five weeks.

Anglian Water, which introduced a hosepipe ban in mid-July, said it is working around the clock to fix leaks but is unable to tell the Chron when the leak will be repaired.

Sharon said: “I think it’s time for an intervention.

“We are on a hose pile ban and there is millions of gallons of water pouring down the road. “It’s madness.”

According to the resident, the road is in a ‘dire state’ having only just reopened after a sinkhole was repaired by West Northants Council (WNC).

Sharon said: “Anglian water told me they are waiting on a road closure to do the work, that could have been done when the road was closed for sinkhole. “I’m guessing they [the council] have done something as the road is now open but take a walk up Eastern Avenue North from Hastings Road and look at the dire condition of the whole road and pavements.”

Anglian Water said during periods of hot and dry weather, the high temperatures can cause ground movement that results in an increase of burst water mains or leaks.

With Northamptonshire being in official drought since August 10, Anglian Water said it will take a ‘several months’ to recover from that.

Whilst unable to provide the Chron with a date that the leak will be repaired, an Anglian Water spokesperson told us: "We understand concerns about leaks and the impact they can have on local communities.

"Our teams work around the clock to identify and repair leaks as quickly as possible, prioritising those that have the greatest impact on customers' water supplies and those resulting in the highest water loss.

“Finding and fixing leaks is one of our biggest priorities. We currently have 245 people focused on finding and fixing leaks, including increased 24/7 standby and emergency response cover.

"We've also invested heavily in technology to find leaks faster, including deploying more than 130,000 acoustic loggers every year, advanced monitoring across more than 20 per cent of our network, satellite technology to spot hidden leaks from space, and drones equipped with thermal cameras.

“We continually monitor and assess reported leaks to ensure resources are focused where they are needed most, and we'd like to thank customers for their patience while this work is carried out."

West Northants Council has also been contacted for comment.