A COMPANY caught illegally tapping into the water network while working on a Winnersh development has been fined £8,000.
Quattro Plant Ltd was caught taking water using unauthorised equipment across the Thames Valley and Kent on seven occasions.
The charges included work on Hatchwood Mill Development in January and April this year. It was also guilty of tapping into the water network at Pine Trees Development in High Wycombe, Castle Hill in Swanscombe and Rennie Drive in Dartford.
The company pleaded guilty to multiple offences at Thames Magistrates’ Court and was told to pay more than £8,000.
Thames Water said that any company wanting to take water from the network must obtain a licence and correct standpipe from the supplier. Failure to do so means not only is any water taken not paid for but there is no way of measuring how much is taken so it all gets counted as leakage.
The company said that its representatives had met with Quattro several times to discuss the issue but the company continued to offend.
Thames Water investigator Stephen Johnston said: “We will always look to work with companies to make sure they are working within the law but Quattro did not listen.
“While other operators do everything properly, it is not fair that some think the rules do not apply to them.
“This is something we take extremely seriously and we hope the level they have to pay sends out a message that this is not acceptable.”
Quattro, based in Stratford, admitted seven offences under the water industry act and was fined £4,267 as well as being ordered to pay costs of £3,671.55 along with a victim surcharge of £66.
Thames Water said that illegal connections are a growing problem with hundreds of thousands of litres of water thought to be lost each day, all of which is classed as leakage.
Anyone who suspects water is being stolen from the network is asked to contact Thames Water. To report water network abuse, email illegalconnections@thameswater.co.uk or call customer service on 0800 980 8800.
For more information about obtaining Thames Water standpipes visit: www.developers.thameswater.co.uk/domestic-and-small-commercial/water-supply/standpipes
Quattro pleaded guilty to using offences at the following locations:
- 12/12/2018 on the Pine Trees Development, Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe, HP11 1QB
- 08/01/2019 on the Hatchwood Mill Development, Winnersh, RG41 5AZ
- 31/01/2019 on the Castle Hill Development, Swanscombe, DA10 0DF
- 26/02/2019 on Rennie Drive, Dartford, DA1
- 03/04/2019 on the Hatchwood Mill Development, Winnersh, RG41 5AZ
- 12/04/2019 on the Castle Hill Development, Swanscombe, DA10 0DF
- 12/04/2019 on the Pine Trees Development, Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe, HP11 1QB
