Firm fined £5,000 for illegally using hydrants in Telford

Drain Clearing 247 Ltd, based in Neachells Lane, Wolverhampton, was handed a fine of £5,301.33 at Telford Magistrates Court after admitting illegally using hydrants on two occasions.

Water company Severn Trent is now urging people across the region to report any suspicious hydrant use.

People or companies using hydrants illegally can lead to customers getting discoloured water or losing their supply altogether.

Dan Littlewood, from Severn Trent, said: “We know how important it is for our customers to have access to clean water when they need it and nobody should receive discoloured water as a result of others thinking they’re above the law.

“It’s not only our customers who are affected, in many cases the illegal use of hydrants results in them being damaged and could mean that the fire service are unable to use them in an emergency.

"That could have devastating consequences.”

Since the start of 2016, Severn Trent has successfully prosecuted 28 companies and written more than 100 warning letters to firms that have been caught illegally using hydrants.

A further 20 companies are currently under investigation.

Mr Littlewood said: "To make it easier to spot those using our hydrants illegally, we’ve teamed up with Aquam Water Services.

“This now means all of our authorised standpipes are painted bright green and feature the Severn Trent and Aquam logos.

"So, if anyone sees our hydrants being used by someone using anything other than a bright green standpipe, please let us know.”

People who see anyone using an illegal standpipe from a Severn Trent hydrant are asked not to approach them but to note down where they are, when it is and make a note of the company name.

Mr Littlewood added: “Illegal hydrant use is one of the major causes of discoloured water in the Severn Trent region as the draw of water through the hydrant can disturb harmless sediment that normally sits at the bottom of the pipe.

"If customers do ever experience their water being discoloured, 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.”

For more information about discoloured water visit stwater.co.uk