"THAMES WATER SHOULD USE HUGE PROFITS TO DOUBLE PIPE FIXING RATE" - TUFFREY

5.36.36pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Jun 2006

Commenting on the Thames Water financial results published this morning, Liberal democrat Environment Spokesman, Mike Tuffrey, said:

"Thames Water should be using more of their huge profits to speed up their current pipe replacement programme. Clearly something radical must be done to reinvest some of that money to save London's dwindling water supply.

'Our calculations show that if Thames Water doubled their efforts, they could secure enough water for over a million people by 2008, saving a massive 76 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day.

'It is fundamentally wrong that customers should be faced with the bill for this essential pipe replacement work when Thames Water make such huge profits." ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

1. Thames Water's current programme is to replace 1000 miles of mains pipe by 2010. If they double their efforts by investing an extra £130m from profits, they would reach they target two years earlier.

2. Thames Water figures state that they are currently spending half a million a day on fixing leaks and replacing pipes.