WATER and drainage engineers have been busy in the east of the borough over the past few days, dealing with a number of leaks associated with changes in the weather.

After dealing with a major leak on Springhouse Road in Corringham over the weekend which included restoring a supply to some homes, workers were quickly moved to another job on Butts Lane.

A further leak on Alliston Way on Corringham was fixed overnight last night and another on Caldwell Road iStanford-le-Hope was being dealt with this afternoon (Tuesday, 6 January).

Workers still have to return to Springhouse Lane to fix the road and verge, so traffic management remains in place there.

The freezing weather means part of the excavation is solid ice!

A spokesperson for Essex & Suffolk Water, said: "Our teams have been working around the clock, as they always do, to investigate and repair the leaks that get reported to us, including those recently in Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope.

"The weather means it is a busy time for us, so we do have to prioritise bigger bursts, or those that have a direct impact on the water supply to customer's homes. But our planning team make sure that all reports get investigated and repairs carried out.  

"As the temperatures freeze overnight the ground becomes very hard and then when the temperatures warm up slightly throughout the day, the ground becomes soggy and saturated. This causes a lot of movement in the ground and that's when pipes crack, valves leak, and fittings become loose.

"The material of the pipes is also a contributory factor, and the newer plastic pipes have a bit more flexibility in them for ground movement instead of the older pipes we have. This is why Essex & Suffolk Water is investing money in replacing the pipes throughout our network."

If you see a water leak, visit the Essex & Suffolk Water website and report it via the emergency portal: https://www.eswater.co.uk/report-a-problem