Cambridgeshire calls for urgent upgrade to ageing pipe network

Summarised from Cambridgeshire Live's report · Updated 20 Oct, 05:31 · Archive

Cambridgeshire County Council has called for water companies to upgrade the county's ageing pipe network following record numbers of leaks over the summer.

Cambridgeshire County Council has called for an urgent upgrade of the county's water pipes following what it describes as record numbers of leaks during the summer. The council agreed to write to the government and regulators requesting that water companies work with councils on infrastructure planning, leak management and the coordination of roadworks.

Councillors said the summer's heatwaves have been particularly damaging to the pipes, and warned that winter's freeze-thaw cycle will cause further problems. They noted that emergency repairs are expensive and wasteful compared to planned upgrades. Councillor Ian Manning also called for a 'dig once initiative' to ensure different utility companies coordinate their roadworks so roads are not repeatedly excavated and repaired.

Read the report

• Calls for urgent upgrade to pipe network after 'absolutely brutal' summer of 'record leaks'Cambridgeshire County Council supported calls for water companies to fix the county's ageing pipe network and to coordinate with utility companies to reduce roadworksCambridgeshire Live · 20 Oct, 05:12

In this story: Cambridgeshire County Council · Cambridgeshire · Ros Hathorn · Ian Manning

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