News: One month of wasted water, so far

Today marks the one-month anniversary of our report of a leak in our road to Southern Water. How much is this wasting and how long will it take to fix?

A problem that grew

When we first reported it back at the beginning of August, it was only enough to push the insulation block and a meter cover up into the road.

Three days later, and it had become a trickle, creating a small puddle. During the intense heat at the time, this was a boon to birds and insects.

During August, the flow of water steadily increased. Yesterday, it had become a 65 metre long streamlet, turning the edge of our neighbour’s lawn bright green, despite the drought.

During this time it has been reported to Southern Water six times.

Our estimate is that this leak could be wasting eight cubic metres of water a day, or more. How much does this amount to?

According to Southern Water’s own figures, the average Chilbolton household (2.3 people per home) uses 320 litres a day. Therefore a loss of eight cubic metres per day would be 25 households worth of water.

How long to fix?

Speaking (once again) to Southern Water’s leak hotline, their patient service representative explained that an inspector would assess our leak within five working days.

If it were regarded as serious enough, work would be scheduled within a further 28 days. However if the road needed to be closed, it could take up to 90 days to get a permit from the local authority.

Of course we had been told this before, at the beginning of August, and nothing has happened.

A common issue

Before getting to speak to the service representative, a recorded message told us that dry ground was causing extra pressure on pipes, making leaks more common.

Looking at Southern Water’s leak report map, we noticed that ours wasn’t even the only leak in Chilbolton - there was also one in River View Close, reported on 18 Aug 2026.

In fact, Andover and the surrounding villages currently have a total of 58 leaks. Of these, 47 were reported in August. The oldest leak, off S. End Road in Andover, was reported as far back as 28 Jan 2026.

Tackling the problem

Of course Southern Water have been the target of significant criticism. We reported on efforts to call them to account, and protect local rivers.

On water leaks, however, they have been making progress. Southern Water have reduced leakage rates over the last three years:

Year	Leakage (megalitres/day)
2019/20	105.2
2020/21	98.4
2021/22	101.1
2022/23	116.2
2023/24	112.0
2024/25	101.6
2025/26	89.8

Sources: OFWAT long-term leakage dataset and Southern Water 2026 Annual Report

Small comfort

The recent hot weather has ravaged a garden that was lustrous during Open Gardens this year, despite our efforts using grey water to keep it alive.

Even though we understand the pressures that Southern Water’s repair teams are under, it’s difficult to watch so much fresh water disappearing before our eyes.

We eagerly await the moment an inspector calls.