AN ‘AMBITIOUS’ pledge to prevent and repair leaks could reduce ruptured water pipes and widespread roadworks in Oxfordshire.

Thames Water is set to put aside £2.1bn to make its network of pipes more resilient and slash the current 697 million litres it loses to leaks every day.

The cash was announced yesterday as part of a record £11.7bn scheme to improve infrastructure, service and efficiency across its network.

It comes after a spate of disruption across Oxford in the past few weeks, from a crater-like leak in East Oxford’s Aston Street to a collapsed road in Cowley’s Rymers Lane.

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Oxford Mail:

Revealing the water company’s new five-year business plan, its chief executive Steve Robertson said: “Our proposals are ambitious, well-costed and widely-supported by our customers.”

Spokesman Mike Benke added: “We are committed to reducing leaks across the region, including Oxfordshire, by 15 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent in the long-term.

“We are using the latest technology available to find leaks, such as satellites and drones, and the £11.7bn will allow us to continue this work while also upgrading our pipe network.”

The lengthy business plan has been submitted to regulator Ofwat and was due to be published on Thames Water’s website last night.

It also outlined a plan to build a new visitor centre at Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford, plus new ozone generators and power units to maintain quality of water there.

The document, which will not be officially approved until next year, came after consultation with almost one million customers.

Georgina Gibbs, of Northway Residents’ Group, said the investment was ‘positive’ but called for Thames Water to prioritise Oxford for upgrades.

She said: “We need to know how much money will be granted in Oxford and if it’s just going to be a ‘bit here and a bit there’.”

She called for developers to halt work on the Barton Park housing estate until the water system had been bolstered, stating the city cannot cope with the pressure.

She added: “There are pipes bursting all over the place and drains collapsing.”

Neil Bolton, the owner of Headington Bathrooms, was among traders who lost custom in June when Thames Water shut Green Road in Risinghurst to repair a collapsed sewer.

Oxford Mail:

But asked about the plan to tackle leaks, he said his ‘bugbear’ was not the faulty infrastructure itself, but ‘poor’ communication from Thames Water.

He said: “Leaks will happen - it was the lack of information and communication with us as businesses and the inability to contact people to let them know what’s going on.”

He claimed Thames Water did not warn shops about the closure.

Barbara Naylor, chairwoman of Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council, said the work was ‘inconvenient’ for residents and ‘almost cut off’ the businesses.

But she added: “If it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done - we have to cope with a bit of disruption.”

Other key elements of the new plan included a proposal to cut pollution and generate green energy, and management bonuses being tied to cutting leaks and improving customer satisfaction.

More than 200,000 customers who struggle to pay will receive discounts of up to 75 per cent, and thousands more vulnerable customers will be prioritised during water problems.