Outdoor swimming fan the Sheriff of Oxford has taken a dip in a flooded underpass in protest at the time it is taking to get the leak fixed.

Barton & Sandhills councillor Mike Rowley tweeted: "Impromptu Sheriff's inspection of Littlemore Lake, formerly known as the foot and cycle path.

"I normally enjoy outdoor swimming but a drought's been declared & this water should be in the pipe. Come on @thameswater  get the leak fixed!

The underpass at the corner of Littlemore Roundabout is “full to the brim with water”, say residents, as ongoing work to fix a burst water main is carried out.

 

Geoff Leitch, who took photos, said: “I’m 5’9, and I don’t think I could stand up in this water.

“It’s the main route to get into the city for people living in Littlemore, and it’s a frequently used route to get to the closest bus stop too.”

READ ALSO: Hosepipe ban - Thames Water restrictions to hit 15million homes today

Thames Water said the burst water main was reported to them on the August 10.

“Our engineers arrived on site within hours and have been working hard to fix the pipe.

“This is a complex repair and we’ve got temporary traffic lights in place so they can safely finish the job.

“In the meantime we’re using pumps to take away the excess water so the road does not flood and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes people living and travelling in and around the area.”

Mr Leitch said a tanker driver present at the underpass told him the water was not being put back into the system, but simply dumped.

However, the Thames Water spokesperson said water released during a burst has to be put into the wastewater system because it’s no longer drinkable.

It comes as the GMB union have slammed Thames Water for wasting water through “leaky infrastructure” after it announced a hosepipe ban.

It claimed that Thames Water wastes the same amount of water as having a hosepipe on for more than 73 years – every single day.

 

 

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