Mystery of A607 Croxton Kerrial water leak is solved

We reported last week that vehicles had been splasing through the leaking water since April.

Readers including Eaton-resident Stuart Bridge contacted us to flag up the issue, expressing concern that valuable water resources were being wasted at a time when Severn Trent Water has asked customers to take showers instead of baths and to avoid watering the garden and washing their cars, to conserve supplies during the current spell of hot weather.

Mr Bridge said: “The water is flowing across the road from a drain and the traffic sprays it onto oncoming vehicles.

“I reckon there must be half-a-million litres a day leaking out.”

But a spokesperson for the water company said: “We’ve been out to investigate this and tested the water and it’s been found to be ground water rather than treated drinking water.

“So it’s not being caused by a leak on our network.”

It would now appear to be a highways problem and Leicestershire County Council today (Monday) sent representatives to the site.

A spokesperson said: “We want to thank residents for their patience and we’re on site today carrying out checks at the location so we want to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“As road users will be aware, we’ve had to deal with an unprecedented number of pothole repairs due to the recent harsh winter so we’re now dealing with a backlog of work which we had to re-prioritise, including the investigations at Croxton Kerrial.”

Croxton Kerrial farmer Gerald Botterill, who is a parish council and ward member for Melton Council, said he believed the leak was spring water and no public water supplies were being lost.

“The water is coming up from the drain and going across the road which is slightly dangerous for people driving along there but not too dangerous,” he said.

“The spring water is going down the road and going back into the stream and then into Denton Reservoir.”