Are All Water Companies Not Fit For Purpose?

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
A week ago today a water main burst alongside the "B" road where we have some land. It was a significant leak and would have been losing around a thousand gallons an hour (4,500 litres).
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.

It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.

On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.

Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.

Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.

Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!

You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
Same here ime.
there are leaks around here on /near the byroads (that you know about probablyand quite a lot more if thats the case) they know about them but they have been like it for years, one road was even resurfaced with it still leaking, totally wasteful and stupid , gallons and gallons pumping away.
theres even one in the village centre / square :banghead:
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I had a long running battle with WaterPlus/STW and found that all phone calls had to be followed up with an email record of the conversation, and in some case where the matter was of major importance, a letter as well.

This method prevented the lies and "lost or no record" responses from CS staff.... They are all the same. :(
 

PSQ

Member
Arable Farmer
Scottish Water are refusing to empty septic tanks, as they are “short of drivers”, which is interesting as they’re a monopoly north of the border. It begs the question that if you’ve got a clogged septic tank in need of emptying, and the company that’s bound by charter to empty won’t, then what do you do…
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Scottish Water are refusing to empty septic tanks, as they are “short of drivers”, which is interesting as they’re a monopoly north of the border. It begs the question that if you’ve got a clogged septic tank in need of emptying, and the company that’s bound by charter to empty won’t, then what do you do…
Pump it into a nearby river..... seems to work for the Water Companies.... :mad:
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
A week ago today a water main burst alongside the "B" road where we have some land. It was a significant leak and would have been losing around a thousand gallons an hour (4,500 litres).
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.

It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.

On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.

Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.

Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.

Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!

You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.
are you NFU ? get them on to it ,thats what the membership fee is partly for surely.
 

Raider112

Member
Been a leak round here for weeks. Workmen were outside my house on a different matter with a number on the van to report leaks, I asked the workman if he could take the report as I could explain to him where the leak was located with it being down a country road with no houses around. He took the details but I presume he forgot about it as nothing happened. Rather than phone and most likely having to press a lot of numbers when I couldn't give an exact location I went online. Started doing it but as I was busy and got sick of filling in irrelevant information I abandoned it.
If I thought I would speak to a person rather than a machine I might try again. A pet hate of mine waiting in a queue then pressing numbers rather than telling someone the problem.
 
A week ago today a water main burst alongside the "B" road where we have some land. It was a significant leak and would have been losing around a thousand gallons an hour (4,500 litres).
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.

It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.

On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.

Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.

Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.

Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!

You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.
Sheer incompetence! Send a formal written complaint to OFWAT.
 

KennyO

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Angus
Scottish Water are refusing to empty septic tanks, as they are “short of drivers”, which is interesting as they’re a monopoly north of the border. It begs the question that if you’ve got a clogged septic tank in need of emptying, and the company that’s bound by charter to empty won’t, then what do you do…
Local agri contractor is licensed to empty them up here (Angus).
 

PSQ

Member
Arable Farmer
Local agri contractor is licensed to empty them up here (Angus).
Scottish Water are £183 for a scheduled visit. But they’re not scheduling anything apart from their pensions.

Tried Billy Bowie as we often see their tankers passing the road end. - they’re asking £500 for a visit, and a hefty charge per cube. Politely declined. It can wait.
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
I can't understand why we are all surprised this sort of thing goes on. It's even got to the stage where we join in to scab a few quid out of the job as well....... we need to get better at this!
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Scottish Water are £183 for a scheduled visit. But they’re not scheduling anything apart from their pensions.

Tried Billy Bowie as we often see their tankers passing the road end. - they’re asking £500 for a visit, and a hefty charge per cube. Politely declined. It can wait.

Billy Bowie have tankers down here for Southern Water, the drivers seem to live in the trucks!
 
A week ago today a water main burst alongside the "B" road where we have some land. It was a significant leak and would have been losing around a thousand gallons an hour (4,500 litres).
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.

It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.

On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.

Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.

Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.

Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!

You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.
Make it a 5 or 6 figure compensation claim ‘cos of the obvious stress caused by this incompetence.
 

upnortheast

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Scottish Water are £183 for a scheduled visit. But they’re not scheduling anything apart from their pensions.

Tried Billy Bowie as we often see their tankers passing the road end. - they’re asking £500 for a visit, and a hefty charge per cube. Politely declined. It can wait.
Shottons do jobs over the border i think
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
It's such a good job they were privatised in the 80's, bringing such efficiency. :rolleyes: 🤬

Privatising a monopoly is the height of stupidity imho. There is no such thing as competition in the water industry and the companies know it. As private companies there is now no accountability either.

Water resource is becoming a major future risk in the UK, especially the South East (although even Lancashire nearly ran out of water a few years ago). "Leakage reduction" to under 10% (despite all of the companies failing to meet their reduction targets of nearer 20% for decades) is a fundamental plank of proposals to ensure supply capability out to 2030 for all of the SE water companies. It's a fairy tale, they are incapable of achieving it.

And that's without even talking about the car crash that is outsourced water company billing 🤬🤬

There been a leak beside dad's farm meter for 3 years now. It's been "investigated" twice with no result. These days they can't even FIND his meter. I queried an estimated bill in his behalf last year which they insisted was right until I pointed out that they'd changed the meter 2 years previously and the estimate was for the old meter!

The whole lot needs taking back into public ownership and a return to local water inspectors who know their patch.
 
Make it a 5 or 6 figure compensation claim ‘cos of the obvious stress caused by this incompetence.
As I said earlier on, yes it is a case of sheer incompetence. However, wearing my surveyor’s hat, the only claim here is for crop damage, and for time dealing with the matter.
Clearly SW ‘Customer Service‘ isn’t working as it should (Covid ??)
Apart from OFWAT, it make sure that a copy of that letter goes to SW chief exec. Also find the name of SW leakage manager and insist that he makes contact with you so that you can give him a good blast.

The letter to the chief exec will merely give rise to a standard cringing letter from CS saying “We are so sorry that you have been troubled……”, but giving a manager a good roasting usually does produce results.
 

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