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Two street cleaning companies have been ordered to pay thousands after illegally tapping into Thames Water hydrants in Oxfordshire. The directors of Centurion Power Cleaning and National Road Sweepers pleaded guilty last month to offences under the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Water Supply and Fitting Regulations 1999, which took place last year. The companies were prosecuted by Thames Water after the company caught them using illegal standpipes to take water from hydrants across the county. Marcus Rickard, managing director of Centurion Power Cleaning Ltd, and Munya Chiromo, operations director of National Road Sweepers Ltd, both appeared at Oxford Magistrates Court on March 26.
A PLANT hire company has been ordered to pay £7,500 after illegally tapping into Thames Water hydrants in London and Berkshire for the second time in two years. Quattro Plant Ltd was prosecuted by Thames Water after the company caught workers using illegal standpipes to take water from hydrants in Winnersh and Croydon in May and October last year. Appearing at Reading Magistrates Court on March 19, director Adam Richardson pleaded to offences under the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Water Supply and Fitting Regulations 1999. The company, which was fined more than £8,000 in 2019 for seven similar offences, was ordered to pay £7,502. Claire Rumens, Thames Water’s illegal connections manager, said: “We work hard around the clock to cut leakage from our network and ask our customers to use water wisely, so it is not fair for others to take water without paying.
Northumbria Water is targeting people living in parts of the town after several hotspots were found. Last year, more than 60 per cent of blockages across Northumbria Water s network contained wipes, which do not break up and can cause build-ups. Problem areas have been located in the DL1 4 and DL3 0 postcode areas. People will initially be sent letters about the Bin the Wipe campaign. Then, the team will be based in those areas, clearing blockages and identifying where wipes have been flushed. The water company says it has tools to help it narrow the search to streets and even individual properties.