Foord calls for ‘clear and costed plan’ to fix leaky pipes as hosepipe ban comes to an end

Responding to the news that the hosepipe ban that has been in place across Devon and Cornwall since August will come to an end next week, Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord said:

“This is welcome news and will bring much needed relief to everyone across our towns and villages who’ve been living under the ban for several weeks now.

“However, we must not let South West Water off the hook. On Sunday, Devon got a month's worth of rain in just two hours; that is what has enabled the ban to be lifted next week.

“We shouldn't have to rely on events like this to keep the water flowing. The continued failure to properly fix leaky pipes is what got us into this mess and allowed millions of litres of water to drip away. That problem has not gone away.

“People pay South West Water to deliver a service, and it's clear that in recent months we’ve not been getting value for money – as sewage continues to pollute our rivers and beaches and we’re seeing a growing number of road disruptions caused by burst pipes.

“We need a clear and costed plan for fixing this vital infrastructure, so we can ensure we do not end up in this situation again.”