Major £13m upgrade of water mains in Crouch End to start this month

Thames Water works on six different sites will commence next week and last for several weeks

Thames Water fixing a leak in North London

Thames Water has announced it will start work this month on a major £13million upgrade to its North London water network in Crouch End.

The company will replace around five miles of ageing Victorian pipes to reduce leakage and the likelihood of supply interruptions in the future.

Crouch Hill in particular has been susceptible to burst pipes over the last few years.

Work will be carried out on 29 different streets in total, starting with The Broadway and Crouch Hill on Monday, 9th February. Ridge Road and Oakington Way will then follow on Monday 16th and Monday 23rd, respectively. Works in Briston Grove start on Tuesday, 10th March, and work in Elm Grove begins on Tuesday, 7th April.

The works in Crouch Hill will last around nine months, and Ridge Road for five months, but the others sites will only be affected for between two and six weeks.

The working hours on all sites will be from 7.30am to 5.30pm

The upgrade comes as Thames Water undertakes its biggest network upgrade in 150 years. Senior project manager Tom Hutchinson said: “Our purpose is to deliver life’s essential service, so our customers, communities and the environment can thrive. 

“We have a long-term commitment to improving infrastructure resilience and we’ve been targeting the areas that need upgrading the most, first. It’s vital that people have confidence in their water supply and this investment will make a big difference to the area.”

Thames Water also says it has “worked closely” with Haringey Council to “minimise the disruption that the work will cause”, insisting that residential and business access will be maintained throughout the work.

Seema Chandwani, the council’s cabinet member for resident services and tackling inequality, said: “Water is a fundamental necessity, and this major investment from Thames Water is crucial to strengthening Haringey’s infrastructure and securing a reliable supply for generations.

“This two‑year programme will significantly improve areas across the borough and deliver the standard of service our residents rightly deserve.

“We’ve worked closely with Thames Water to ensure that as little disruption as possible occurs during the work, with resident and business access maintained throughout, and amended bus routes are in place and available online.”

Thames Water also held a drop-in session last month at Hornsey Library for residents to learn more about the work and the long-term benefits of the project.

The work will be carried out by Clancy. Construction manager Jack Lahr said: “As the water industry works to improve its resilience and deals with greater demands on its services, we are delighted to support these goals. Our commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaborative growth will continue to be the driving force in this project and in our relationship with Thames Water.”

For more information:
Visit thameswater.co.uk/about-us/projects

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