Thames Water is starting work this month on a £2.5million scheme to replace 4.3 miles (6.9km) of worn-out Victorian water mains in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Over the next two years Thames Water will replace ageing cast-iron pipes in the Holland Park area (W14) with tough new plastic ones less prone to leaks and bursts.
More than 20 per cent of London's water mains are over 150 years old - the oldest in the UK - and more than 40 per cent are over 100 years old. Replacing the leaking mains is essential as the capital's water resources are under increasing pressure from climate change and population growth.
Kathryn Moore, Thames Water's project manager, said:
"Ideally we wouldn’t have to do this work at all but the fact is that London’s water pipes are old and leaky and need replacing.
"The sturdy new plastic pipes we are putting in are less likely to burst as a result of freezing weather conditions, such as those recently which have led to nearly four times the number of burst and leaking pipes that we would normally expect at this time of year. These pipes will also reduce the risk of damage from soil corrosion and traffic vibrations."
At this time of year Thames Water normally expects to get 75 new leaks reported a day across its 20,000-mile network of pipes in London and the Thames Valley. It is currently getting nearly 300 following the coldest December in 120 years.
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