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Water company Severn Trent is offering customers in Coventry the chance to potentially save thousands of pounds through its Green Recovery programme.

The company has committed to replacing 25,000 customer owned lead supply pipes in Coventry, as part of a £78m investment in the City that will help customers save money, while preventing private leaks and issues with old supply pipes.

They will also be installing smart meters at the same time as laying the new pipes, as part of the city’s wider water upgrade, that will provide the company valuable data on usage and help find and fix leaks faster.

Both projects in Coventry will bring community and health benefits, while the new pipes and meters will mean less leaks and more valuable data captured to understand water usage across the City. 

Carl Flello, Green Recovery Project lead at Severn Trent said: “We’re really excited to be able to offer Coventry residents the chance to have their lead supply pipe replaced for free.“People may not know that they own their supply pipe, let alone potentially have a lead one which could pose not only health risks, but with a pipe that old could easily burst or leak and cause problems that would be the homeowners responsibility to fix.

“Through this ambitious pilot, we’re aiming to replace 25,000 customer owned pipes with a new plastic one, taking away the financial worry should anything go wrong, while also improving the water quality and potentially see better flow and pressure into the home.

“This pilot in Coventry will allow us to gain valuable learnings and understanding, that will shape how the industry looks to replace customer owned lead pipes in the future, as well as bring massive benefits to those living here.”

Severn Trent has started rolling out its trial in the Henley Green (CV2) area of the city, where it’s asking residents to register their interest initially.

Teams will then carry out an inspection at the property, with a view of arranging a replacement to be made if the property meets the criteria needed.

Severn Trent will be looking to expand the area where it will be replacing the pipes from March next year, and open up the pilot to those with a Coventry post code (CV1 to CV6).

“This project will truly make a huge difference to Coventry, and see those living here be part of something that involves a major upgrade for the water network,” adds Carl. “Not only will we be replacing customer owned pipes, saving those people money and ensuring their supply pipe is of top quality and less likely to cause issues, but we will be installing smart meters so we can have a bigger understanding of where water is being used, and find and fix any leaks faster, so it’s a real win win.

”Severn Trent will also be looking to work with local plumbers, as it looks to provide customers with the option of using a local plumber and provided with a grant to carry out the work themselves.This will support local plumbers and help provide more work, supporting businesses post-pandemic. 

The work in Coventry forms part of Severn Trent’s wider £566m Green Recovery programme, where Ofwat encouraged the UK’s water industry to support the UK’s green-economic bounce back following the pandemic through innovation and collaboration.

To find out more, and to see if your property is eligible for the free replacement, please visit here .

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