United Utilities has been awarded £2,000 legal costs after a heat pump installation company drilled into a water main and flooded a road and five homes.
Ground Heat Installations was also fined £50 by East Lancashire Magistrates after admitting interfering with the water main last November.
The incident happened when the company, based in Appley Bridge, Wigan, was working on a property in Stonyhurst.
Workmen drilled into a large water main at Bleak House, Kemple End. Water flooded the road and neighbouring homes.
UU was forced to shut down the area’s water supply until the leak was fixed. Police and fire services were called.
In court on 11 July, Ground Heat manager director David Thompson apologised for the incident.
Magistrates’ took into consideration the fact that the Company had an excellent health and safety record, no previous convictions and responded quickly to the incident.
A UU spokesman said afterwards: “The damage to the water main caused significant operational problems in managing alternative raw water supplies to the Blackburn area and five domestic properties have been affected by the flooding. The costs of the repair to the water main, the private properties and reinstatement of the road are estimated at £250,000. We are now considering civil action to recover the full costs of repairing the damaged water main.”
