News

Severn Trent has started work on a project that will see benefits for nearly 30,000 of its customers across Derbyshire.

The company has started a programme to clean around 70 miles of pipes by March.

Mell Priestly from Severn Trent explains what's happening and why: “We want our network to be in the best condition possible, and we want to make sure that our customers have the best quality water.  Our water is of a high quality, and this is partly down to similar flushing programmes across the region, where last year we cleaned hundreds of miles of pipes.

“You may see our teams around the area in the coming weeks flushing pipes by letting the water out.  The flushing will remove any natural sediment that’s settled at the bottom of the pipes. This sediment is something that is unavoidable and naturally occurs. Certain activities such as the fire service using our hydrants or water leaks due to burst pipes, can cause the sediment to be lifted into the supply – making the water discoloured. Flushing of the pipes will help to remove the build-up and reduce the chance of discolouration."

Severn Trent started the big cleanse last week in Oakwood before moving onto Ashbourne this week. Customers in Belper, Ticknall and Chesterfield will also be benefitting from the work.

Mell added: "It’s very unlikely that our customers will ever have discoloured water, but just in case they do we have some very simple advice - simply run the first mains fed tap at a gentle rate for 20 minutes and the water should clear.  You may need to do this a few times to completely clear the water.  It’s nothing to worry about, and this simple advice may avoid the need for you to call us.”