Woman Slams Anglian Water Over Leak During Hosepipe Ban — SkimNews
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- Linda Kirby, a receptionist at Polly's Field Village in Braintree, Essex, criticized Anglian Water for imposing a hosepipe ban while leaving unrepaired a leak along Church Lane near Chantry Close that she reported in June.
- Kirby said the situation makes her "very annoyed," telling reporters: "Why are we paying all of this money when there is water being wasted down a drain?" — adding the trickle grew larger over weeks.
- An unnamed neighbor told the BBC the leak has persisted for two to three months despite being reported, producing a street puddle that cars splash through during the hosepipe ban.
- Anglian Water said its teams are "working hard" through the hot weather to "prioritise repairs that are having the greatest impact on customers' water supplies," and that dry conditions cause ground movement that increases burst mains and leaks.
- Kirby, who lives in Halstead, said she passes the leak every day on her drive to work, framing the unrepaired waste as a direct contradiction of the utility's conservation message.
- Anglian Water thanked customers "for their patience" while it responds to challenges from "exceptionally dry weather," without addressing Kirby's specific leak.
Why it matters: Anglian Water is asking Essex customers to cut outdoor water use during a drought while at least one Braintree leak — reported as far back as June and visible enough to form street puddles — goes unrepaired, exposing the credibility gap between conservation appeals and maintenance delivery. Residents paying water bills are doing the rationing the company won't do on its own pipes.
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