Willingdon water to get a deep clean

South East Water technicians will be undertaking a deep clean of the underground pipework in the Willingdon area for around three weeks from Monday (June 24).

The work involves pumping water through pipes at high speed to flush out naturally-occurring sediments which build up over time, such as iron or manganese.

Despite not being harmful, these can cause customers’ water to appear discoloured – and customers may notice a reduction in water pressure.

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South East Water’s Jenny Rhodes said, “The fresh drinking water entering our mains after treatment is extremely high quality, however, over time deposits can build up in the pipes, particularly if the water is slow moving.

“Our team of scientists and engineers use information gathered from our customers, from water samples and historical data to develop a programme to ensure we flush the areas that need it most.

To help minimise the risk of any disruption, we usually avoid flushing between 6am and 8am, and 5pm and 10pm, when demand is highest.

“Customers will receive advance notice if we are going to be working in their area, and we do encourage anyone with a medical condition which could be impacted by an interruption to their water supply to sign up to our Priority Services Register at southeastwater.co.uk/help.”

Despite customers’ potential fears of water being wasted, once the water reaches it’s ‘journey’s end’, South East Water says it is directed into the drains to be recycled.

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