Thames Water wasters strike again.

[Bam]

Stadium way is ok if you have a car but not easy for the elderly if using a bus. I would have thought they would have put a bowser at the top of the hill. What happened to the Tilehurst water tower. That was a water butt big enough for the whole village.

I have some sympathy for Buseng. No joke not being able to flush the loo, with no end date in sight. We keep a Porta Potty for emergencies in case our septic tank clogs up. Happened twice since 1969.

[windrush]

Stadium way is ok if you have a car but not easy for the elderly if using a bus. I would have thought they would have put a bowser at the top of the hill. What happened to the Tilehurst water tower. That was a water butt big enough for the whole village.

I have some sympathy for Buseng. No joke not being able to flush the loo, with no end date in sight. We keep a Porta Potty for emergencies in case our septic tank clogs up. Happened twice since 1969.

It must have been an emergency as normally they post a letter through the door when general maintenance is being carried out to give you time to stock up on the wet stuff. You can't do much to prepare if it happens quickly though.

Pete.

[OLDMAN]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

To be fair about this it does state in the GR report about ‘freeloaders’ taking the water so I would have made similar comments – and I’ve seen it happen when we had a shortage near us a few years back

If they wanted better control they should have parked up in the area that actually had no water, and/or said you needed proof of address to make sure freeloaders couldn’t take it

[buseng]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

To be fair about this it does state in the GR report about ‘freeloaders’ taking the water so I would have made similar comments – and I’ve seen it happen when we had a shortage near us a few years back

If they wanted better control they should have parked up in the area that actually had no water, and/or said you needed proof of address to make sure freeloaders couldn’t take it

Agree with some of your points, they actually put a water point behind the shops at The Triangle but it was found that traffic was clogging Tilehurst Village up. So they moved back to Stadium Way. I also agree with address checking, but again it would be too time consuming in such a busy period. Look at the tip when they check everyone's ID. Long delays ensure.

[buseng]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

I suggest you read the report before you make sarcastic comments, In big headlines-FREELOADERS!

[mikejee]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

I suggest you read the report before you make sarcastic comments, In big headlines-FREELOADERS!

But what it says is "neighbours have slammed 'freeloaders'"

That was probably just you

[buseng]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

I suggest you read the report before you make sarcastic comments, In big headlines-FREELOADERS!

But what it says is "neighbours have slammed 'freeloaders'"

That was probably just you

No it damn well wasn't, so stop making false accusations.

[Mayfield]

Frankly I wonder how anyone knew whether they were free loaders or not

In any case I should think sales of water butts may go up in local hardware and gardening outlets

Every cloud...( well, with one notable exception )

[OLDMAN]

Number of households effected vs number of cars turning up (and that doesn’t account for those without cars etc) vs amount of water issued
Plus the report of guys loading into the back of van

Its amazing the number of unscrupulous people there out the that will try and take advantage in situations like this

As I mentioned, a few years back it happened near us – we are fed from a reservoir in Early and the pumps went down, so they issued out bottled water up near the and got told to get some form near the Three Tuns (in Sol Joel park) which was covering our area
We weren’t going to bother as still had a water tank in the roof which was full, and didn’t use much water for anything else but I took some elderly neighbours up to get some
The traffic was mental, which was odd considering the where handing water out in 3 other places around old / lower early effected at the time
It was so bad they ran out of water, then calculated they had given out more water than the number of houses effected - we got told the next delivery would come down effects roads and hand out in segments which works better
We then heard that many people had recognised others that didn’t even live in the affected areas – I certainly saw some who lived down near the park, and knew they had no water problems - and there was a report that some had been seen filing car boots and a couple of vans

Bit like stockpiling of toilet rolls, that or rip-off merchants who then sell it on!

[Mayfield]

This is also like the people with very well loaded trolleys in the Corona virus panics....quite often if people, only too happy to find fault and call them selfish, had bothered to ask they may have found people doing shops for more vulnerable or non car owning neighbours, but hey, there’s no nasty comment required in that...

Yes of course there are the unscrupulous, but I doubt TW were giving out top of the shop water, and if they were, I want a refund

A flat of water is so cheap at zaldi, Lidl, Asda etc, its hardly worth the bother

[Fed-up]

The quote from FB in the article is:

Commenting on Facebook Nikki Sowinska said: "Some people just taking it for the sake of it, probably don’t even live in the area! Last time this happened a van with 2 blokes were just filling up the van with loads of it.

"They were told it was for residents only and b****red off a bit sharpish!"

I read that as - it has happened in the past, but not necessarily on this occasion.

[THC]

Probably. Lol.

[piwacket]

Hey Buseng - we’ve joined you. No water in RG6, RG2 and RG1.

[piwacket]

Yay! It’s back - pretty good going!

[OLDMAN]

Hey Buseng - we’ve joined you. No water in RG6, RG2 and RG1.

We’re RG6 but still had water so you must be on a different supply especially if RG1 and RG2 were also off
We get ours via Early reservoir which covers some of East Reading, Early (Maiden and Lower) and some of Woodley and South reading
My mother was RG1 and we always had water when hers went off or vice-versa

[piwacket]

We’re RG6 but still had water so you must be on a different supply especially if RG1 and RG2 were also off
We get ours via Early reservoir which covers some of East Reading, Early (Maiden and Lower) and some of Woodley and South reading
My mother was RG1 and we always had water when hers went off or vice-versa

It was odd, because I filled kettle at 9.50ish for a cuppa and I also watered some indoor plants.... 10.45ish OH found there was no water. The report on the their website said there was a breakdown at Earley Pumping Station and they were sorting it.
The division is even greater than you suggest as either side of the road never has the problem at the same time ... so had it been earlier we could have gone across to a neighbour and filled a pan or two, just as they do from us if needed. Where is the Earley Pumping Station?

[buseng]

The worst utility company in the land strike again.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... w-19063593

Pass the buck as per telling people to claim on their insurance. Why don't they realise that using Victorian infrastructure in a 21st century world doesn't work. Which is why councils should block all these constant new build plans. Current roads, utilities etc can't take it. There are friends of mine in the Tilehurst area who still haven't got hardly any water supply.

[Fed-up]

Yet, when they try and do something about the Victorian infrastructure, which does need updating and improving and involves digging up roads, you are normally the first to complain.

You can't have it both ways. The infrastructure has been neglected for a number of years and needs improving. It can't be done at the click of a finger and will involve some disruption.

[buseng]

Yet, when they try and do something about the Victorian infrastructure, which does need updating and improving and involves digging up roads, you are normally the first to complain.

You can't have it both ways. The infrastructure has been neglected for a number of years and needs improving. It can't be done at the click of a finger and will involve some disruption.

As always, like everyone else on here, you have to twist things & throw it back.

[Fed-up]

Please explain what I have twisted because I can find a number of examples on this forum where you have complained about TW digging up the road. For example:

https://reading-forum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 01#p306601
https://reading-forum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 20#p305220

and that's just from the last couple of months.

So again, please tell me how I am twisting things?

[windrush]

The worst utility company in the land strike again.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... w-19063593

Pass the buck as per telling people to claim on their insurance. Why don't they realise that using Victorian infrastructure in a 21st century world doesn't work. Which is why councils should block all these constant new build plans. Current roads, utilities etc can't take it. There are friends of mine in the Tilehurst area who still haven't got hardly any water supply.

Alas almost the whole country is operating on Victorian infrastructure, most utilities plus the railway. On our deeds, dated 1860 something, is an application to run a gas main from the main road to what was then the only property on our hill which was the Vicarage. It asked for objections from homes on the main road. That main was still in use until four years ago when they ran a new plastic pipe through the old one so only two small holes needed excavating for access, but in those past 180 years twenty properties have been built on the hill demanding gas from the old system. The water supply will be equally as old, the sewerage system the same, and they must be struggling to cope with the 400+ houses now being built locally? There always seems to be water board employees digging holes around the area and most of it will be plugging leakage from ancient pipes.

Pete.

[OLDMAN]

We’re RG6 but still had water so you must be on a different supply especially if RG1 and RG2 were also off
We get ours via Early reservoir which covers some of East Reading, Early (Maiden and Lower) and some of Woodley and South reading
My mother was RG1 and we always had water when hers went off or vice-versa

It was odd, because I filled kettle at 9.50ish for a cuppa and I also watered some indoor plants.... 10.45ish OH found there was no water. The report on the their website said there was a breakdown at Earley Pumping Station and they were sorting it.
The division is even greater than you suggest as either side of the road never has the problem at the same time ... so had it been earlier we could have gone across to a neighbour and filled a pan or two, just as they do from us if needed. Where is the Earley Pumping Station?

TBH not 100% sure, we had a letter many years ago saying we were being taken off the main Reading supply and being linked to Early Pumping station as more effective and that was it
Then 5yrs we got one saying our water would come from the new reservoir in Elm Ln so presume somewhere over that way
That was built to add extra water supply for Lower Earley / some of Whitley and the university, but most of where we live (Park Ward) got added on as well – I wouldn’t have thought your bit was part of it as the railway cutting and A3290/M cuts across it all
My mother’s PC was RG1 down the other side of Palmer Park which also covers Newtown etc and I know she was on a different supply to us, RG2 is Katesgrove and down towards the South and I though all of that was also on the Reading mains supply

[cnb]

TBH not 100% sure, we had a letter many years ago saying we were being taken off the main Reading supply and being linked to Early Pumping station as more effective and that was it
Then 5yrs we got one saying our water would come from the new reservoir in Elm Ln so presume somewhere over that way
That was built to add extra water supply for Lower Earley / some of Whitley and the university, but most of where we live (Park Ward) got added on as well – I wouldn’t have thought your bit was part of it as the railway cutting and A3290/M cuts across it all
My mother’s PC was RG1 down the other side of Palmer Park which also covers Newtown etc and I know she was on a different supply to us, RG2 is Katesgrove and down towards the South and I though all of that was also on the Reading mains supply

You can enter a postcode here and it will tell you where your supply comes from: https://wholesale.thameswater.co.uk/che ... -your-area

[OLDMAN]

Thanks, it says we are under READING WHITEKNIGHTS which looking at other PC's is up to Early reservoir area, but not sure where the pumping station is though, where my mother lived is under READING CENTRAL and Pi's area is under READING EAST!

[GaryyHill]

Its very bad. I've heard TW staff are overstretched and under resourced, despite the big pay there directors have.

[mikejee]

No different to many organizations, charities, public companies and , very recently MPs

[dave m]

The Elm Lane resevoir has been there for years, but was vastly increased in size about 5-7 years ago, and bigger pumps installed. I guess with loads of infill houses like the old Sibley Hall site plus houses on what was the big bit of European Weather Centre, it makes sense to rejigg the supplies from time to time.

[chris_j_wood]

Going back to the original west Reading nature of this post, I do wonder what effect the closure of the Bath Road reservoirs has had. Beyond, of course, the provision of large wads of money for Thames Water's owners through their redevelopment as housing.

At one time there was a water tower and two large reservoirs on the Bath Road site, and it was responsible for the supply of much of (an admittedly rather smaller) Reading. One of those reservoirs was closed several decades ago, but I believe the rest of the site was still operational until shortly before it was redeveloped a handful of years ago.

The reservoirs were fed by water pumped from the water works on the Kennet, originally at Southcote Lock and later Fobney Lock, which are themselves obviously too low to feed much of Reading by gravity. As Tilehurst spread up the hill, to levels higher than the Bath Road site, the supply was enhanced with two water towers in Tilehurst. One of which has also now closed and been converted into housing.

Given that Thames Water is prone to making excuses about how Reading's water supply is largely Victorian and the fact that there have been no obvious replacements built for these Victorian facilities, I do wonder what exactly has changed that has permitted Thames Water to retire significant facilities that the Victorian engineers obviously thought were needed to supply a much smaller population. Is it perhaps that they were just dazzled by the riches of redevelopment into accepting a lower level of contingency and a higher risk of supply interruption, I wonder.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Good post Chris.

[mikejee]

Very reasonable Chris. Just oen point is that I seem to remember reading that one of the Bath Road reservoirs was closed because it was leaking, so , in that case it was a reasonable decision to remove it. Also , since the Bath Road has had restricted running on numerous occasions in the last few years, caused by leaks in what I assume was once the major water supply line into reading from the Bath Road works, this would seem to indicate that the victorian engineering , at least in that immediate area, was failing. Certainly the large square holes filled to the brim with water which have appeared there many times recently, while interesting, are not very conducive to good traffic management, and seem to show that here rough patching up every few months is here the norm

[dave m]

One resevoir was closed in the 50's and the other in the early 90's. The water tower closed in the 70's.

[chris_j_wood]

Just oen point is that I seem to remember reading that one of the Bath Road reservoirs was closed because it was leaking, so , in that case it was a reasonable decision to remove it.

I suspect that was the older one. By the time the campaign against the development was running this one had obviously been out of service for a long while, and had partly collapsed.

One resevoir was closed in the 50's and the other in the early 90's. The water tower closed in the 70's.

I can quite believe the dates for the first reservoir (see above) and water tower. But my memory of the time when the campaign was running was that we were told by Thames Water that the other reservoir was still active. Not entirely sure when that was, but it would be about the time that Alok Sharma brought his mate Grant Shapps to the Foresters and they told us that if the Conservatives won the next election they would stop the development (they did, and they didn't, quelle surprise). At the time Shapps was Shadow Housing Minister, so it must have been between 2007 and 2010.

Also , since the Bath Road has had restricted running on numerous occasions in the last few years, caused by leaks in what I assume was once the major water supply line into reading from the Bath Road works, this would seem to indicate that the victorian engineering , at least in that immediate area, was failing.

It does occur to me that another alternative for how Thames Water may have compensated for the loss of the Bath Road and Norcot Hill facilities is that they may be maintaining the pressure in the supply mains by direct pumping, rather by by gravity. If so, that could go some way to explaining the spate of failures we have seen over the last few years, with Victorian pipes being subject to localised stresses they were not designed for. Which would make Thames Water's habit of blaming Victorian engineering somewhat disingenuous.