Illegal water connection not tolerated by water company

Fine issued for illegal water connection

On 29th November, Luton Magistrates Court convicted Mr McNamara of the Rye, Eaton Bray for ten offences relating to his illegal connection to a neighbour's water supply and putting water quality at risk. He was fined £2,275 plus a victim surcharge and full costs of £5.558.

Veolia Water's Water Quality Manager Mike Webb said of the case:

"Taking water from a neighbour's water supply pipe is distressing for the victims concerned and we will do all we can to help them. We will always endeavour to find those responsible and will have no hesitation in bringing them to the Courts.

"Not only did Mr McNamara take from his neighbours, but he also put water quality at risk by carrying out this connection without any training or agreement to do so.

"The sentence given to Mr McNamara illustrates the severity of what he did. We are more than prepared to prosecute anyone who puts public water supply at risk."

Mr McNamara has lived at his address since 2004 and has never arranged for a direct supply from the water company.

Notes to Editors:

Mr McNamara was prosecuted for ten offences under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 and the Water Industry Act 1991 at Luton Magistrates Court on November 29th)including:

using a water fitting without adequate backflow prevention
failing to prevent backflow between supply pipes serving separately occupied premises
failing to give notice to Veolia Water of the installation of a garden watering system
failing to give notice of the installation of water fittings connected to the annex
connecting to an existing supply in a manner likely to cause erroneous measurement of water supplied to Eaton Bray Cricket Club.
For further information please contact Becky Martin on: Tel. 01707 277110, email: [email protected], website:www.veoliawater.co.uk/news

About us:

Veolia Water Central is the UK's largest water supply only company and is part of Veolia Water UK. We are committed to delivering a high quality water service to all our customers. We provide 870 million litres of water each day to a population of 3 million people, in parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon and parts of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, and Enfield. Our supply area covers a total of 3,700 square kilometres, stretching from Luton and Royston in the north to Guildford in the south, and from Berkhamsted in the west to Dunmow in the east.

For more information visit www.veoliawater.co.uk/central or follow us on www.twitter.com/veoliawateruk.