1.2km of water pipes are being updated on Seven Sisters Road, through to Finsbury Park Road, reports Miriam Balanescu

Thames Water has said it is in the final stages of completing a £21.1million investment into upgrading water pipes in North London.

Roughly 1.2 kilometres have been upgraded on Seven Sisters Road, through to Finsbury Park Road, Queens Drive and Myddleton Avenue. Thameslink report that the pipe replacement on Seven Sisters Road has fixed 17 leaks so far.

The works include three large trunk mains and involves relining the pipes, which were originally laid in the 1800s – contributing to what Thames Water describe as a “history of leaks” in the area.

The final phase will see 1.4km of water pipes from Finsbury Park Road to Myddleton Avenue upgraded using Die Draw technology.

Esther Sharples, operations director for London, said: “We’re committed to reducing leakage across London, which is why we are upgrading our network of aging pipes, some of which are over 150 years old. Due to a history of leaks in the area, it was clear we needed to urgently upgrade our pipes. This multi-million-pound investment will build resilience for the future and keeping taps flowing for our customers.

“The Die Draw technology has significantly accelerated the project delivery and mitigated traffic build up along a busy TfL route, while reducing noise and disruption for residents in the process.”

For the work, Thames Water has partnered with its suppliers, TfL, and three London authorities: Haringey Council, Hackney Council, and Islington Council, with the work covering all three areas.

Nick Owen, TfL’s head of network performance, said: “London’s road network plays an absolutely vital role in keeping the capital moving, which is why we work closely with utility companies to reduce the impact of roadworks.

“The use of innovative new technology like this, funded by our pioneering Lane Rental scheme, is making a real difference in reducing delays on our roads, cutting congestion and the pollution it can cause. Lane Rental has allocated more than £3 million of funding to Thames Water projects since it began. We’ll carry on working closely with Thames Water and other utility companies to ensure even more projects can benefit from the ground-breaking technology that the Lane Rental scheme funds.”

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