Whoops! Water leak repairs last just 1 week before street in Tain, Easter Ross, is dug up again
Scottish Water engineers were left with egg on their face after having to rip up a street just days after repairing a burst main.
Around 300 homes were left without water in Tain until late in the night on Tuesday last week (March 26) after a pipe burst in the street in Burgage Drive, sending water pouring into a number of local gardens.
Repairs continued well into the night, but water was successfully restored to all customers by the early hours of the following morning (March 27), and the hole in the road where repairs were carried out was later filled and tarred over.
But the week-old tar had to be ripped up again this week after local residents spotted that small amounts of water were continuing to seep up through the street’s new surface.
- Related: Water supply cuts in Tain area being investigated by Scottish Water
Confirming that the cause was due to a “loose connection”, Scottish Water said its engineers were back on the street this Wednesday morning - ripping up the new tarmac to seal the fresh leak.
Luckily though, there was no repeat of the widespread disruption to local supplies this time, with Scottish Water confirming that the work was able to be carried out without any water cuts.
Reinstatement of the tarmac surface is now expected to take place “as soon as possible this week”, with the company apologising for any inconvenience caused to local pedestrians, motorists and residents in the meantime.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Following reinstatement of the water main on Burgage Drive last week, we were alerted to a possible small leak that was causing water to rise through the tarmac.
“We had a squad on site this morning to excavate the pipe to check what is happening and they identified that it was caused by a loose connection which they have now sorted.
“This work did not affect the water supply to customers in the area and reinstatement work to the pavement will be carried out as soon as possible this week.
“In the meantime the site has been made safe, but we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused until these reinstatement works have been completed.
