Mrs Plug may get Willesden Green Library re-opened 'towards the end of next week'

The latest from Brent Council on the closure of Willesden Green library because of water supply problems:

The Library at Willesden Green is still closed. New parts are currently being fitted to repair the water tank. If all goes well the engineers say we will be able to reopen towards the end of next week. We will keep you informed as we get further updates. @Brent_Council

Willesden Green Library closed until further notice

Willesden Green Library was closed yesterday when I tried to visit. Today Brent Culture announced via twitter:

We still have no water at the Library at Willesden Green, the building will remain closed until further notice. Apologies for any inconvenience. The nearest alternative Brent Libraries are Kilburn Library or Harlesden Library Plus.

The problem is with the conveniences - I understand that the library cannot operate without water for the toilets.

Follow @BrentCulture on twitter for updates.

FURTHER UPDATE: HARROW, WEMBLEY KINGSBURY WATER PRESSURE DISRUPTION

From Affinity Water LINK


UPDATE 22:55 MAY 13th

We have successfully repaired the burst water main and anticipate full restoration of your water supply within the next 1 hour.

Should you experience any discoloured or aerated water which is not uncommon following a mains interruption, we recommend that you leave a mains fed tap running for approximately 5-10 minutes. Discolouration of the water is caused by small particles of iron which are within the mains and disturbed during interruptions.

Cloudy water is caused by air that becomes trapped in the mains, neither of these are harmful to your health. To see more about how to clear discoloured or aerated water why not watch our short video guide here 

Where it has been necessary to excavate the area we will continue to work with the local Highways Authority to return the road surface area to normal and ensure that the road or footway is safe for all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. This may mean that we have to maintain the site and any necessary traffic management until this is the case.

We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this incident and would like to thank our customers for their patience today.

This message will be removed after 08:00 Monday 14th May 2018

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Update 22.05


UPDATE 18.30

Our repair team are on site, however due to complications with the repair and the need for additional fittings this is taking longer than anticipated. We will provide an update and estimate on when this work should be completed as soon as one becomes available.

We are sorry for the disruption to your supply and thank you for your patience.

We will update this message again after 20:30




UPDATE 16.00 MAY 13TH

Our team remain on site and excavation work continues. The team have worked with the highway authorities to put a full road closure in place from the junction of Kenton Lane & Kenton Road to the entrance of Sedgecombe Avenue. This road closure will remain in place to ensure the safety of our team and road users.

We will maintain access for customers living in Kenton Gardens and Totternhoe Close.
All customers are expected to remain on water until this repair is complete, however there may be periods of lower than normal water pressure.

We are sorry for the disruption this incident has caused, and will provide further updates as they become available



Harrow, Wembley and Kingsbury Area

UPDATE 12.30

In order to restore your supply during this repair, we are diverting water from other areas; however this may be at a lower pressure than normal until the repair is complete. This can take up to 30 minutes to take effect.
We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
This message will be updated after 14:30

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Our repair team have arrived on site and are currently working to isolate the damaged section of pipework. The burst water main has been identified as a 12" pipe that supplies the Harrow , Wembley and Kingsbury areas.

Due to the large volume of water on the road surface, the team will need to shut the pipework down completely and pump the water away before they can begin to safely excavate the pipework.
Any customers who are experiencing low water pressure are advised to store water for drinking as supplies will need to be interrupted to carry out this repair work.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused customers, and will update this message further after 12:50

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If you are in the above area and are experiencing problems with your water supply we have received a number of calls which suggests there may be an issue on our network. Our technician is on their way to investigate and a further update will be provided as soon as possible.

During this time we ask you not to use any electrical appliances that require a water supply, for example washing machines or dishwashers and to conserve water from storage tanks during the time your water supply is interrupted.

If you do still have a supply, we would advise you to store some water for drinking, in case your water has to be switched off for a repair to be completed.

We are sorry for the inconvenience caused and aim to restore your supply to normal as soon as possible.

This message was added at 09:50 and will be updated after 11:50

Mayor's £6m for water fountains, refill & deposit return bottle schemes, improved green spaces

Press release from the London Mayor's Office
 
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a further £6 million injection of further funding for protecting the environment and improving green space in the capital.

The fund will deliver the roll-out of more new public water fountains - on top of the initial 20 the Mayor announced recently.

It will also create better local green spaces including in areas with little access to parks and community spaces.

Sadiq wants Londoners to help protect the environment by introducing changes that will have a big impact on reducing the amount of single-use plastic bottles and cups bought daily across the capital.

With many Londoners enjoying refreshments on the go from retail outlets and cafes, the amount of single-use plastic waste is huge.

The Mayor is working with Thames Water and City to Sea to introduce a Refill scheme so that Londoners can reuse their bottles and cups to top up free tap water from local shops and businesses.
He has also announced plans for the installation of 20 new public water fountains in busy areas.

Sadiq has already allocated £750,000 in his draft budget over the next three years to cut plastic waste, including helping launch a pilot Refill scheme with retailers in five districts and installing 20 new fountains. He is working with the #OneLess campaign, led by the Zoological Society of London to find suitable fountain sites and the first ones will be installed this summer. He has today announced increased funding.

The Mayor has committed to working with manufacturers and supply chains to trial coffee cup collection schemes where businesses and retailers provide easily accessible recycling facilities for the separate collection of coffee cups.

He is also considering the potential for a plastic bottle deposit return scheme that gives Londoners money back for recycling bottles. ‘ Bottle banks’ or ‘reverse vending’ schemes where consumers get a voucher when they return bottles, could be placed across London. Other countries who have adopted similar schemes have seen plastic bottle recycling increase up to 90 per cent. This work is part of the Mayor’s ambition for London to send no biodegradable or recyclable waste to landfill by 2026.

The funding will also help support the Mayor’s ambition to make London the world’s first National Park City by engaging Londoners to help create and improve green spaces and plant more trees, helping make London a healthier and greener city.

It will also help pay for local measures to tackle toxic air pollution including schemes in and around schools and in partnership with local businesses, and installing green infrastructure that benefits air quality and reduces exposure.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:

I’m committed to helping Londoners reduce plastic bottle use and help cut the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans and in landfill.

This increased funding is matched by ambitious plans which aim to help the public easily cut their use of plastic by offering water refills, delivering more public drinking fountains and simple recycling schemes that will help cut the purchase of single-use plastic bottles.

This extra funding will also help us race towards my goal of London becoming the first National Park City, by funding more tree planting and green spaces, especially in areas so that everyone in London can benefit from an easily accessible park, play space, or community garden. 

Greenpeace campaigner Elena Polisano said:

Public water fountains, and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, are both key practical steps to reduce the flood of plastic waste endangering our oceans. Water fountains help us to reduce plastic waste by making reusable containers more convenient, and a DRS will help us to recycle the plastic waste we do produce. Beyond that, they are useful ways of reminding consumers and more importantly businesses that there is no ‘away’ where things can be casually thrown without consequences.

Fiona Llewellyn, #OneLess project manager, Zoological Society of London:

This new investment by the Mayor will help transform London from a throw-away plastic city into a city that refills; good news for Londoners and for the ocean. #OneLess is excited to be part of the Mayor’s drive to make London an ocean-loving city and the first capital that’s free from single-use plastic water bottles.

The Mayor's draft London Plan highlights the importance of protecting London’s green spaces and creating new, accessible open space, particularly in areas with little access to parks. The new funding will deliver more Greener City Fund grants to local projects, helping improve parks, design new green spaces, green school playgrounds, plant trees and restore waterways.

Graham Duxbury, national CEO of Groundwork said:

We know the valuable role that greenspaces play in ensuring a better quality of life for local communities in order for people to live happier and healthier lives. We have seen first-hand that local people are committed to improving their surroundings and local provisions and it’s important that they have the right support and tools in order to be successful. We are delighted that more resources are going to be provided to help communities get involved in making positive changes to their local greenspaces as well as tackling the important task of reducing our plastic consumption. We look forward to seeing the positive results.

The Mayor recently awarded £1.1m from the first round of his Greener City Fund Community Green Space grants to 55 local groups, with 60 per cent of projects in areas with poor access to green space, and 14 are based in schools, including a new community garden next to the temporary site of a school relocated following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.

Boris must act as water and utility companies squeeze Londoner's pockets

Guest Blog from Navin Shah (Labour), London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow
 

After months of campaigning, the water regulator Ofwat has announced it will order Thames Water to slash Londoners’ bills by 5% over the next 5 years.

For the many Londoners struggling to cope with years of stagnating wages and rising living costs that announcement will be a great relief. Water isn’t one of those bills you can avoid, nor do we have a choice about our supplier. For too long water companies have had customers over a barrel – there was nowhere to turn when prices rose.

The 5% reduction will, on average, mean a £17 cut to bills in Brent and Harrow. Whilst that’s encouraging, water companies are still allowed to increase their overall prices with inflation. That will mean people could quite quickly end up paying more. 

The Mayor of London has taken his eye off the ball in not taking on the utility companies that are squeezing Londoners’ pockets, we on the Assembly will continue to be vigilant to ensure Londoners get their very best value from their water and energy bills.

Thames Water was one of the only water companies in the country to propose price rises, in part it said to fund the new Thames Tideway Tunnel. Whilst the so called super-sewer is important, Ofwat rightly recognised that the project cannot be funded by squeezing yet more out of Londoners' pockets – something I totally endorse.