UNDER our feet is a network of pipes, some dating back to the Victorian times, that are simply struggling to cope with modern-day demand.

Thames Water has reassured the public the system is fit for purpose and the problem is man-made.

With more housing planned for the city and the new Westgate under development, the pressure on the pipes is only going to get worse.

Our laziness in throwing down the drain items that clog up the system has led to the formation of giant, so-called fatbergs that like clots in an artery stop the vital flow of liquid.

At worst this can lead to sewage oozing into people’s homes, such as Hoonie Feltham and Hugh Palmer.

The couple have likened their road, Walton Crescent, to Piccadilly Circus, given the pressures on the sewers there.

Despite repeated warnings, we do not seem to have got the message, with the latest fatberg causing the flooding in Jericho.

Thames Water needs to set about improving our ancient underground pipes as soon as possible. But until this happens, we should aim to try to stop the situation getting any worse.

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