Council issues half a million pounds worth of fines to Thames Water for overrunning works

In the two and a quarter years from April 2022 to mid-July 2024, Wandsworth Council issued fines totalling more than £500k to utility firm Thames Water. These fines were issued because Thames Water allowed works to overrun against agreed timings.

Whilst the Council understands that regular maintenance of water infrastructure is needed – as well as short-notice interventions to fix things like burst pipes -, the frequency of overruns is cause for concern.

Thames Water supplies water to Wandsworth’s taps and manages wastewater treatment, so there is an expectation that the service runs smoothly. The money collected from Thames Water has been used to fund highways improvements across the borough including road potholes and pavement repairs.

Wandsworth Council Leader, Councillor Simon Hogg, said:

“We know that Thames Water has an important job to do. That’s why it’s crucial that they get the work done in the time they commit to.

“When work overruns the advertised timescales, the disruption to local residents, schools, transport services and businesses can be extremely challenging.

“The fact we had to issue fines exceeding £500k in a little over two years shows the scale of the problem. We are calling for Thames Water to improve time management processes across Wandsworth so the ‘hand-back’ of work is much more punctual.”

There were over 320 separate instances of work overrunning from April 2022 to mid-July 2024. The council expects to see tangible improvements in the months ahead, with any future fines incurred going straight back into maintaining Wandsworth’s roads and pavements as part of its decade of renewal programme to improve the borough’s infrastructure.

To report issues with any Thames Water work in the borough of Wandsworth, including operational incidents or overruns: streetworks@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk