ONE of Powys' main water companies has defended its record after it was revealed to be the second worst for leaks in England and Wales.

New figures revealed this week that Hafren Dyfrdwy saw 134 litres of water leaked per property per day in 2020-2021.

A spokesperson from Hafren Dyfrdwy defended their record and said they take leaks "very seriously".

But they added that the nature of their rural patch makes tackling leaks more difficult.

They said: “We take leakage very seriously. Our teams are out during the day and night looking for and fixing leaks, but there’s always more that we can do to make sure that our wonderful supply of water isn’t wasted.

“We operate in large, rural areas and leaks can often be much more difficult to find, especially when on land which isn’t used regularly.”

The worst supplier for leaks in the UK was Thames Water leaking 161 litres per property per day, with United Utilities and Yorkshire Water just behind Hafren Dyfrdwy leaking 130 litres per property per day each.

The news of the leaks comes as reservoir in the county have dropped to very low levels, with a hosepipe ban being brought into other areas of Wales such as Pembrokeshire.

This has led to Hafren Dyfrdwy’s sister company Severn Trent to ask customers to conserve water and said in a statement: “With temperatures hitting the 30s once again and after the UK saw the driest July since 1911, Severn Trent is asking people to use water wisely as demand increases to some of the highest peaks on record.”

“As a result of preparation work throughout the year to remain resilient and protect water supplies, the Severn Trent network is in a good position, yet with no rain in the forecast, these extreme weather conditions could continue to increase demand.”

MORE NEWS:

However, Hafren Dyfrdwy has said it is not looking at a hosepipe ban currently.

The company said they are looking to improve their system and encourage anyone to report leaks when they find them.

The spokesperson added: “We have recently opened a new operational hub in Newtown, which has recruited 40 people with the sole purpose of providing water services, with leakage recognition and repair being one of these.

“Providing our customers with a continuous supply of wonderful water is a priority for us, so we always assess and repair leaks on a priority basis, attending those which have the biggest impact first.”