DIY plumbing 'can reduce water quality'

Wessex Water has warned residents who intend to install their own appliances to ensure that they connect them correctly to avoid causing water pollution.

The south-west company issued the advice after its water pollution prevention initiative revealed that some washing machines, hand basins and toilets had been connected to the wrong part of the sewerage network.

Plumbing the appliances into drains for rainwater rather than the fowl part of the sewerage system had resulted in some soapy and dirty water being released directly into local watercourses.

Larry Spiers, Wessex Water Streamclean co-ordinator, said: "Often homeowners are not aware of this pollution issue, but most are environmentally conscious and keen to put the problem right when we explain how the system works."

This year the Streamclean team has identified more than 300 misconnected appliances, including 54 toilets and 69 washing machines.

Wessex Water, which supplies approximately 1.25 million people, is the only water company in Britain to operate a team dedicated to tracing river pollution caused by the misconnection of appliances and foul water drains.

Posted by Claire Manning