Mark Pack

I've blogged before about the massively long-running saga of the potholes at the corner of Stroud Green Road and Morris Place. In brief: combination of blocked drains and water leak meant pothole repairs kept on being wrecked, drains now fixed but water leak outstanding - and complicated by high pressure in system caused by local reservoir being shut due to poor water quality.

But, but, but - it's all been dragging on for months now. So long in fact that it doesn't exactly suggest Thames Water is really that concerned to fix the problem promptly. (After all, it is the public who suffer from the potholes - and when you pass a pothole, if you think to blame anyone it is the council not a water utility firm. So there isn't that much incentive for Thames Water to move swiftly.)

On Thursday I thought I'd try giving their press office a ring, ahead of writing a bigger blog post on the subject. They got back to me on Friday with the news that (drum roll please),

Turning off this water main in the past has increased the pressure within our network, leading to bursts in the area.

To  avoid  this, we’ve had to carefully plan the repair so that work is carried out at the right time when pressure is lower.

Work will begin next Tuesday.

Whether it's a coincidence that they were always going to start the work next week or whether my query prompted them in to action, either way - hooray!