McFadden Utilities and Amara Land Ltd have been charged and convicted of 24 offences of causing illegal connections to the Thames Water’s clean water supply network.
Both companies were prosecuted on grounds of carrying out work negligently and incorrect measurements of recorded water use across three property developments in London.
The companies have been ordered to pay a combined £31,888 for the offences which have taken place over the last two years.
Thames Water’s illegal connection team uncovered that McFadden, without consent, had installed connections to the Thames Water network in a manner below acceptable industry standards and caused an erroneous measurement of water to the clean water main at two locations.
Amara Land Ltd also installed a connection in an unacceptable manner and caused an erroneous measurement of water at two separate locations, including a new build housing development in Hendon.
The water company said unauthorised connections can compromise the integrity of the clean water network when offenders do not pay for their connections, or the water consumed.
With climate change and population growth putting a strain on water resources, Thames Water is taking action against those who illegally connect to its clean water mains.
Since 2014 Thames Water’s illegal connection team have referred over 10,000 illegal connection allegations, many of which have been prosecuted through the court system, resulting in the award of £365,000 costs to the utility from offending companies which covers the cost of the investigations.
Claire Rumens, Thames Water’s illegal connections manager, said:
“Our work to find and stop illegal connections helps us to uncover offences, save millions of litres in water and uphold our statutory obligation to protect, control and maintain our clean water network.
“As we ask our customers to use water wisely and have engineers working around the clock to find and fix leaks, we are also doing our part to stop illegal connections to our water supply. We will always look to work with individuals and companies to educate and reduce the risk of re-offending.”
Thames Water Utilities Ltd have the right to prosecute all offences but may offer a one-off retrospective charge for a non-aggravated standpipe first offence. Standpipes can be hired from Thames Water’s authorised service provider.
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
bNovate has launched BactoCloud, a secure cloud-based platform that connects and manages its BactoSense instruments, enabling real-time monitoring and optimization of microbial water quality.
Amiblu, a global leader in Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipe systems for wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and industrial applications, has announced the appointment of Martyn Turton as its Sales Director for the UK & Ireland, driving strategic market development in the infrastructure and water sectors, effective immediately.
As a project manager at Metasphere, a Grundfos-owned remote telemetry company at the cutting edge of innovation, Fey McHarg, has witnessed firsthand how the intelligent harnessing of data, specifically through the data-as-a-service model, is fundamentally reshaping and revolutionising the water sector.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.