0:00:03 > 0:00:06Getting clean water...
0:00:06 > 0:00:08is a dirty business.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Nice!
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Mmm.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14DOORS SLAM
0:00:14 > 0:00:17We followed one of Britain's biggest water companies
0:00:17 > 0:00:21as they cover 5,000 square miles and three million homes
0:00:21 > 0:00:24over a long, hot summer.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'I've calmed down and I've counted to ten...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Come in, it's, er, it's lovely and warm!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Reacting to emergencies...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Any sort of contamination is really, really bad.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43- '..and domestic problems...' - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - DOG YELPS
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Ignore the smell.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47..to keep the customer onside.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49- Are you short-staffed?- No.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52It comes out the sea, they get it for nothing,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55so why charge everyone for it?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I mean, a lot of people think, they flush the toilet
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and they forget it, it disappears.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01And we're the big hole under everybody's houses
0:01:01 > 0:01:03where it disappears to!
0:01:03 > 0:01:05No job's too big...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- '..or too small...'- Think I ought to come out now, mate. That'll do.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12..for the watermen.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Looks like we're going to get wet.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17See you in the morning, boys?
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Just another day in the office.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22THEY CHUCKLE
0:01:27 > 0:01:31PHONE BEEPS Hello. Thank you for calling. You're through to Jamie.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Can I take your name, please?
0:01:33 > 0:01:36In Warrington, the company's call centre receives
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- over 1,000 calls a day. - 'Sorry, just a minute.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39'Ethan, turn the duck off, will ya?
0:01:39 > 0:01:43'Sorry. Making a bloody racket when I'm on the phone.'
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'I just want it sorting. I don't know what to do now.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Some of them, unbelievable.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Just as well I'm in the office!
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
0:01:53 > 0:01:55No, that's not true.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57- I love the customers. - Mondays are a pain.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- And how bad is the leak?- We tried to plug it with a bit of wood.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05- They're busy, nine times out of ten. - 'I don't know who to speak to...'
0:02:05 > 0:02:09I don't know...what I can do to make this hurry up.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12- There's nothing. - It's been fine this morning.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I say this, and there'll be a mega mains burst somewhere,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and it'll all kick off.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Sandbach, Cheshire.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A burst water main has left an estate without any water.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34It's a massive inconvenience, actually.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Water analyst Will is one of the first on the scene.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40It's a major burst, affecting
0:02:40 > 0:02:43hundreds of properties, probably just under a couple of thousand.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Er, so, basically, this job is more
0:02:47 > 0:02:51an adrenaline rush, in terms of, how can I sort of stop the destruction
0:02:51 > 0:02:54that it's causing? And then you get customers coming
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and talking to you and moaning and kicking off.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00You can't even do your washing. And you've got kids.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02My cousin's got a baby.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05And she can't do her bottles,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and bath her, so...
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Getting a joke.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It looked like a simple fix,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14but they've found a more serious problem.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16We've repaired the main, but while we were in there, we noticed
0:03:16 > 0:03:19that there was a leaking sewer as well, so we've got the possibility
0:03:19 > 0:03:21of bacteria entering the repair,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24so we've got to do some special measures now, really,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27to make sure that we, er,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29we get rid of the risk of any bacterial contamination.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Any suspected bacteria in the supply poses a risk to public health.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36John is in charge of the clean-up.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Bacterial contamination can make people ill,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43you can get...tummy bugs, that sort of thing.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So, it's like faecal contamination, E. coli.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50So there's a... That's why we're taking real proper precautions,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53really, to make sure that the water is absolutely clear.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- We're not taking any risks. - Did you get number two?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Number two's here, isn't it? No, there's nobody in there.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Oh, right.- Any sort of contamination
0:04:00 > 0:04:04is really, really bad. That's why we react how we react -
0:04:04 > 0:04:06shutting the mains off, shutting the taps off.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08We avoid it at all costs.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17..haven't got any taps running downstairs,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20then we'll open up the stop taps, and they've got supplies on that,
0:04:20 > 0:04:21with the boiled water.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25John is in constant touch with the incident team based at company HQ.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28In terms of numbers, roughly?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Erm, roughly about 49?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Next item is customer vehicle...
0:04:34 > 0:04:35'Yeah, it arrived about half 12,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37'Alice and I are sat in the vehicle now.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- Who's manning it? - 'We're manning it!'
0:04:40 > 0:04:42The kids keep coming round for ice creams from this van,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44so we have to keep chasing them as well.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- CHUCKLING - Yeah, all right.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47Funny, funny.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Right, so, next on the agenda, sampling...
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We've just got two more customer properties to do and it's all done.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Are you arranging for those to come into the lab,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57is someone dropping those off?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Yeah, I can, I'll be leaving site in about half an hour,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02so I'll drop them off at the lab on my away into Lingley.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Can you make sure there's a request that they're fast-tracked?
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- 'Yes.'- Thank you.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The contamination is isolated to 49 properties.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12The residents are told to boil the water,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14but by law, the company has to maintain a supply
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and send an alternative -
0:05:16 > 0:05:18bottled water.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22These residents have been without water for...
0:05:22 > 0:05:2428 hours.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They've had bottled water, and we've given them bowsers.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31This is the exciting part of the job. Your day-to-day stuff is...
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It's nice to see customers and solve their problems,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37but this is the bit where you feel like you actually
0:05:37 > 0:05:40earn your corn, this is where you prove your worth.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Until we get that OK from the bacteriological point of view,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48it's...we can't guarantee that it's safe to drink.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57'It stinks - it stinks to high heavens,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'and I know what sewage smells like cos I work in an effluent plant.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Oh, do you? It's not the nicest smell in the world, I must admit.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05No, no, no, no.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You never actually told me the full story - what happened?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I don't like losing. I'm not going to lie.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- It's about the taking part!- No!
0:06:14 > 0:06:18I came second twice. Now, to me, second place is just first loser.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And I MAY have defaced my certificate.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25First...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- winner!- And then it says, "Lisa is ace!"
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- And Emma stinks.- And Emma stinks!
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Most calls are about blocked drains.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Jeopardy, Rachael speaking.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Jeopardy, Rachael speaking.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I like waste water.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Waste water's good.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Rachael dispatches the teams who unblock them.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46A little army, little army of men!
0:06:46 > 0:06:48And women - don't forget the women.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Because we've got a few women out in the field as well -
0:06:51 > 0:06:53CSTs. And we've also got, erm,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57we've got a lady over on N8, Vicky.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58And she's an actual gang.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02She normally pairs up with a lady CST, Babs.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04So they're like, it's like the dream team.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Where are we going first, Wirral?- Yeah.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Ready for my driving?!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Vick and Babs are the company's first all-female crew.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I'm just logging on now.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17C-H...
0:07:17 > 0:07:20My first day driving the wagon - I only passed yesterday,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22so, er, let's see how we get on!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Let's go!
0:07:30 > 0:07:32So, you're not scared of my driving, Babs, no?
0:07:32 > 0:07:33No, no!
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Think you're quite confident! Considering you've only just passed.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Well...
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's quite unusual to see an all-female crew out there.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44'I think it's quite... Yeah, it's good.'
0:07:44 > 0:07:46There's no, erm,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50no barriers here, not for women, anyway.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53You can go just as far, being a woman.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Their first job is near Liverpool.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59It's an overflowing drain at the back of the owner's house.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Hiya, it's Barbara from United Utilities.- Hi, Barbara.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- Hi, I'm Vicky.- Hi, Vicky. Shall I show you what the problem is?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Yeah. Thank you. - Come through.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- Well, you're probably... - Yeah, we can check that anyway...
0:08:10 > 0:08:12- You're probably immune to the smell by now.- Yeah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- Yeah, you can smell it. Yeah. - But it's... It came up there.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- But yesterday it covered a massive, massive area here.- No problem.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Can we get access?- Just the... the first road on the right and
0:08:22 > 0:08:24you'll be able to back down there, no problem.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Aw, don't tell me that. It's me first day in a wagon today.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I only passed me test yesterday.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Got to go down the back alley, but we gotta reverse all the way down.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It would be today, though, wouldn't it?
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The toughest... Get down the smallest gap in the world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41We'll see. Thrown in at the deep end.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44SHE LAUGHS
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Babs... Babs, what we'll do... what we'll do, hon,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56we'll just set up here and just drag the hose off.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- Sweating it! - I know, yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Challenge two passed.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12As you can see, one blocked manhole.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- Did you bring the... - Yeah.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19What I'm going to do, I'm just checking for the depth
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and the way that the sewer runs.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25There you go.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Got lucky.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30And that's how you clear a blockage.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- We've got the... We've cleared the blockage.- Excellent.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38When I actually started doing this job,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I come to do the accounts and stuff.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46And when I actually got there, I seen what the lads were doing
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and I was like, "I want to do that!"
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So obviously my boss said, "Really?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56"There's no other girls that do this. Are you sure?"
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I was like, "Just give me the chance and I'll do it."
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- We prove them wrong, don't we, Babs?- We do.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05This has been an ongoing problem, so they need to locate the cause.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Roots.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12So through my experience of doing this,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16there's going to be probably a lot more roots in the line.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- There you go. - You see the roots there.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24You see?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26So that's what's obviously been causing the blockage.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Raw waste in sewers provides the perfect fertiliser
0:10:29 > 0:10:31for roots to thrive in.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33So even though we've cleared the blockage and the sewage
0:10:33 > 0:10:37has got through, we're going to have to now jet it, clear all them out.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41This is the jet we're going to use for this one...
0:10:41 > 0:10:43It's called a warthog.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44See the holes there?
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And it basically spins in the line with the pressure of the water,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and cuts the roots out.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00So the pressure of the water going through it, it drags it straight
0:11:00 > 0:11:03out your hands. But with roots, you've obviously gotta work it,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07so you don't want it to just go past it - you want it to cut them all up.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- Yep.- Cool.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17But I love the job. I absolutely love it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And my mum when I get home, she goes, "How can you do that?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23"It's horrible. It stinks."
0:11:23 > 0:11:24But I just love it. I love the job.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26That's us, isn't it? Done.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28That's great. Thanks very much.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35In Sandbach, residents are still drinking boiled or bottled water
0:11:35 > 0:11:39while a suspected contamination in their supply is dealt with.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Went to clean me teeth and found out I'd got no cold water.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So I thought, "Eh up, we've got problems."
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Simple things like flushing the toilet, you know.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53The more you want to go, the less you can go
0:11:53 > 0:11:55because you can't flush the toilet.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Got to take everything out of a bottle.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Makes you appreciate...what water's like coming out of a tap.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07To kill off any harmful bacteria, a high concentrate of chlorine
0:12:07 > 0:12:10is being flushed through their mains pipe.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12It's a disinfectant agent.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14It'll kill any bacteria, bugs,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17anything else that might be... have got into the water supply.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It's about 40 times more concentrated than...
0:12:20 > 0:12:22normal mains water.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Tap water samples are taken every eight hours.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- BUZZER Hello, I...- Hi.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- Oh, it's you. How are you? - Well... Come on through.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Yeah, well, what we're doing, we've turned the water on...- Yeah.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35- We're sampling now.- Right.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I've just been told we've got to sample again
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- at seven o'clock tonight...- OK.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- ..and then we're going to do it again tomorrow.- Right.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And depending on these three samples,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- we'll then give you the go-ahead. - OK.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It does worry me.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Anything that I swallow - food-wise,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53drink-wise or anything - could make me very seriously ill.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54I've just spent most of...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Well, six months in hospital,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and I really don't want to go back there again.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- There's no substitute for...- No. - ..for running water.- No, there isn't.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06We, as far as I'm concerned, are like...
0:13:06 > 0:13:08the fourth emergency service.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10You can do without electricity, you can do without gas...
0:13:10 > 0:13:12But you can't live without water.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16That's...that's all I need, then. Thank you very much.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- OK, thank you.- And we'll see you at seven o'clock.- Yeah, OK, then.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27130 technicians work at the company's lab
0:13:28 > 0:13:32checking random clean and waste water samples.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36But today, the Sandbach job is given priority.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Results will be sent to Public Health, England.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Mark is in charge of the team.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Let's have a look.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The things that we look for are, we call them indicator organisms,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54so they are organisms that indicate there's been
0:13:54 > 0:13:57a possibility of faecal contamination.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01And there could be other harmful organisms there.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03We've got three failures from the incident, so...
0:14:03 > 0:14:04OK, right, clostridia, right.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07These appear as black colonies, actually, on this media.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Hey, Sandra, it's Becca in the lab.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I've got three clostridia failures
0:14:14 > 0:14:17for you from the incident yesterday at Sandbach.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20They've found traces of a bacteria called clostridia,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23proof that the Sandbach water is contaminated.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Because it's an incident and something's gone on, I think
0:14:27 > 0:14:30the fact that we've got three failures is of concern.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34We'll have to see what they decide to do in terms of re-sampling.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Some guys on site will be taking more samples tonight
0:14:36 > 0:14:39about eight o'clock and bringing them in, and we'll take a further
0:14:39 > 0:14:41set of samples tomorrow, about seven o'clock in the morning,
0:14:41 > 0:14:42and bring those in.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45As soon as we've got two sets of clear samples then we're good to go.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59In Lancashire, residents near Blackburn will no longer
0:14:59 > 0:15:02get their water supply from the Rivers Brennand and Whitendale.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Instead, it'll be piped directly from a reservoir.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10This requires six miles of new pipeline.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Colin Fairclough will manage this £10 million project.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18He's worked with the company for 20 years.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Shit happens sometimes.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24A digger has accidently broken part of the water main.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27We've been very lucky when you see the distance we've gone.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29We don't know where these tappings are,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31you just take it by chance.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32Is that you, Craig? It's Colin.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Yeah, not so bad. We're just on Spark Road.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Have you got anybody that will just knock the main off
0:15:37 > 0:15:40while we repair...? We need somebody here pretty quickly cos the
0:15:40 > 0:15:42water's pouring out down here.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The problem is these branches just appear off it at any point.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49You can't pick them up, cos they're plastic,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51you can't pick them up with a CAT scan.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52So he's been coming through carefully,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54he just caught it, unfortunately,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58and it's pulled the saddle off the pipe.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And, of course, the saddle, at about 40 psi, it looks bad,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but it's probably just a small hole that's on the pipe.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Took a lot of closing, that valve.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Well, alls we need to do is shut it off maybe for about 15 minutes,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12repair it, and we're back on again.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16It's not a big problem, but it is as far as we're concerned.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Well done.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It'll take a year to lay a pipeline,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22which will cause major traffic disruption.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's Colin's job to reassure customers.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29All the people can just park their cars again
0:16:29 > 0:16:32on here next week, so all those people will be off me back.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33However, I've got another road
0:16:33 > 0:16:36down there where everybody's going to be on me back again.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Smart enough? Tie tidy? Let's go and do it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42- DOORBELL RINGS - Hello.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Good afternoon, my name is Colin Fairclough,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46construction manager for United Utilities.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- That's my identification.- OK, hello.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Our pipeline is coming down this side of the road,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- so I presume you have a car?- Yeah. Well, it's not mine. It's my mum's.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Hello? My name's Colin Fairclough from United Utilities.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You're the one that charges all this money for the water?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00It all comes into me. I've got a big bank account.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02When we pass through here, we're only going to be
0:17:02 > 0:17:04three or four days coming through here.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06As I was talking to the guy, trying to explain to him about
0:17:06 > 0:17:10what we're going to be doing, he had about five dogs running round wild.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11Go on, dog...
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I felt this, something cold on me leg, and when we...
0:17:15 > 0:17:17When he'd gone away, one of the guys said to me,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20"He's actually used your leg as a toilet."
0:17:20 > 0:17:21HE LAUGHS
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I've got me trouser press and me spare shirt in the office.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27When I get back I can just change me trousers.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29HE LAUGHS I find it ever so funny.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30You have to laugh, don't you?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Every half hour's different than every previous half hour.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's just everything's new.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I think if you do the same job for all of your life,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48same repetitive thing, you're soon going to get bored, aren't ye?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I think you need constant challenges,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53constant things coming up against that you've got to resolve,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58problems you need to resolve, and it's... Keeps life interesting.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Last Wednesday was my 50th year of working.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09I just celebrated a complete 50 years,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12so I'm in me 51st year now.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Hopefully, I can go on for another five years.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18I don't do it for the money. I do love it, and everybody that knows me
0:18:18 > 0:18:21knows that I like working for a living.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24I don't think a lot of people realise what's involved with water,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27what we have to do to provide water to the taps.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32Let's go!
0:18:32 > 0:18:34See ye in a bit, mate.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Vick and Babs are heading to Ellesmere Port.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40The first job we've got is a blockage job
0:18:40 > 0:18:42that's close to flooding.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47It's an intimate... I always call it an intimate flooder.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Intimate flooder.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Just means that it's close to overflowing at the top
0:18:51 > 0:18:54of the manhole, so that's why we've got to...
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We've got to go there before it actually does flood.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- You ready to rock and roll, Babs? - Let's go.- Let's do it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Hello, it's Barbara calling from United Utilities.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Just to let you know we're on our way.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09We should be on site in the next 15 minutes. Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- Very professional there, Babs. - Why, thank you.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17We are the dream team, Babs.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23We're going to stay together and show the lads how to do it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Show 'em how it's done.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Hi-ho, hi...
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- And what's been the problem, sorry? - Blocked up.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36It's blocking up, is it?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Yeah, no problem.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- There's fat in that, straight. - Lot of fat in it.- Yeah.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44I was surprised to see all the young ladies doing all this work.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I... Taking all the jobs from the men, aren't they?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Smell it, it's rammed with fat, that.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Fat's the worst as well.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Once you get it on you, there's no getting it off.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01It stinks, yeah.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Just get the jet out to jet it
0:20:05 > 0:20:09cos obviously the blockage is past this connection, so...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I'm going to use the warthog, which cuts it up
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and breaks all the fat up, so hopefully we'll get a clear
0:20:14 > 0:20:17vision and see down the pipe, see what the problem is.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Bit old-fashioned, I am.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Don't associate ladies with this terrible work, you know.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Yeah, they've sent us women to get it done properly,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28you know what I mean? They don't call us the A Team for nothing.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- The A Team?- Yeah, you better believe it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Give us two minutes with this, I bet it's clear.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Just wait for Babs, make sure she's ready.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Maybe I'm getting too old and I'm not informed. I don't know.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I'm not up-to-date.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46They just don't expect women to be doing this type of job at all.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58There we go.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- How high was the pressure you've got there behind that?- Erm, woo.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09- 2,000 psi.- Oh, right. When I was pushing, it couldn't...
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Let's go and get the camera.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21The footage shows the sewer is intact.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It was definitely fat that caused the blockage.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28- You've got a cha...- It goes down there into that...?- Yeah.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Oh, does it go into the main sewer system? Is it just...?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32That's what it did then, it's sort of like...
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Just flops in. No U-bend or anything there to...
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- No, no, no, no. - It's just straight in?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Yeah, but that's all clear now.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42No fat left in the line. It's pretty clean really, isn't it?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44The job is done in 20 minutes.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47That's what I like.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Get in there, get the job done.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55And you go in, do what we came to do, and leave.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01So, you know, and they're happy, the job's done, and that's me happy.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03And Babs happy.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10In Sandbach, the drinking water
0:22:10 > 0:22:13has been regularly tested for three days.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Residents are still waiting for the all clear.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22We've got no failures.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Yeah, it's looking really good for those samples, yeah.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Just literally a case of filling out the zeros now on the sheet.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36That's our confirmation that says that they're all clear.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Then they will get entered onto the computer.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41And that then, later on today, we'll push the results over to
0:22:41 > 0:22:43the water quality team, and then they can start letting
0:22:43 > 0:22:47the residents know that they don't need to boil their water any more.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Confirmation then, so we've got enough clear samples
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and we're good to go. We can lift the boiled water?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- Yes.- The news was good, so we're just going to get the letters printed
0:22:57 > 0:22:59out now, get them taken down to site,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and we'll get them drinking their water again,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04if that's what they choose to do with a bank holiday weekend.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07The 49 homes left without drinking water for three days
0:23:07 > 0:23:11are entitled to compensation, plus a goodwill bonus gesture.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Always try and watch for dogs coming out.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I've got bit a couple of weeks ago, so...
0:23:19 > 0:23:22INDISTINCT SPEECH Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- Where's me dog? - Oh, I don't know.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- Not going to bite me, is it? - I don't know.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Ooh. Oh, ey up. DOG BARKS
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Hey - whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Oi! Oscar! In! Will you shut up?! In!
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- DOG GROWLS - Will you shut up?!
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- HE LAUGHS - In!
0:23:40 > 0:23:41I've got a letter for you...
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Basically...letting you know your water supply's back to normal...
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Oh, right.- ..so you can start drinking it without having to boil it.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51I've got a letter for you, apology letter...and
0:23:51 > 0:23:55there's also a compensation cheque in there for £100.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Oh, that's very generous. I wasn't expecting that.- Yeah.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03The incident could have turned, you know, quite nasty.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07We could have had mutiny, so to speak, from the customers.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09We reacted quite quickly with it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11We got a team mobilised really quickly.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14If you have got any questions, feel free to call us.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Cost to the company, just in compensation alone,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19you're looking at well over £4,000.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21There's a cheque in there for 100 quid.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Oh, brill, thank you.- Thank you. - Thank you.- Cheers.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43The Blackburn pipeline will supply water to over 30,000 customers,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45but not all of them are happy.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49At the top of the fields there, where you've dug,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53where you've dug your pipeline, you've dug a great big ditch,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57about four or five foot high, right at the top of the field.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Now, you've put that big ditch in that way,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02into that and joined it all up,
0:25:02 > 0:25:03so all that water then is going to
0:25:03 > 0:25:06come down there, is going to come this way.
0:25:06 > 0:25:12Just had a phone call from an irate resident...telling me that some
0:25:12 > 0:25:16works that we have done is causing flooding problems in his garden.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19We'll get it sorted.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23I'll have this guy smiling before we leave today...hopefully.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Who's your colleague? Is he...?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Yes, he's... He's my next door neighbour.- Right, OK.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- And he's a plumber. He knows all these systems.- OK.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39At the field boundary up there, we cleaned out an existing ditch.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- No, you extended it. - You made it bigger.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42No, no, you've extended it further on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45You counteract the water that's been coming round
0:25:45 > 0:25:46the field over that wall.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49You've counteracted it, whether you've put a drain in or not,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50you've counteracted it.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53So all the water that's collecting into that big gulley now,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55which has been extended about ten yards, is going to collect
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and is going to come all the way down here.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So that ditch overruns, overflows then, is that what you're saying?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Yeah.- Yeah, if you get too much water, it will.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Right.- Can we go and have a look? - Yeah.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The customer is worried that the trench for the pipeline
0:26:14 > 0:26:18above his property will divert rainwater into a ditch that
0:26:18 > 0:26:19leads directly to his house.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24So what you're saying, previously, all the water that
0:26:24 > 0:26:27came off that field, normally went down there.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30And what we've done since, we've extended that bit.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33You've extended it, so this is the natural flow, isn't it?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Yeah. It takes the easiest route, doesn't it?
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- Of course it does, so this is the easiest route.- And what we've done,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41we could have potentially caused you a problem by doing this.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44We've got to alleviate this, so we don't make your problem worse.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- That's right.- So if we take a surface water drain
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- and we can disperse it... - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- ..underground over there. - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55As long as we don't get flooded.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Hey, we don't always get it right.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00But, hey, we can always put it right later.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Colin's system will drain any excess rainwater away from the property.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11THEY LAUGH
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I've just told your wife it was your fault, not my fault.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I want to know, if this is for telly, how are we getting paid?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18You shouldn't say that when I got a stick in me hand.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We've sorted if for you anyway, end of story,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23all sorted, all resolved, so...
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Everybody can have a cup of tea now to celebrate our good news there.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Because I'm the construction manager, all the guys,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41they're not working for me, we're all working as a team.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And because I'm driving it,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45it's like driving a vehicle, and all these people
0:27:45 > 0:27:47are sat in the car with me, they're all doing their own little bit.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51But between us, we've put the pipeline from right over there
0:27:51 > 0:27:54as far as you can see, all through the fields,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56through the towns, right up here, and...
0:27:56 > 0:27:59And at the end of the day, a year's time from now,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I'll get a wonderful feeling of satisfaction that we did that.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05We have made a big difference.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07We provided water from there to there.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Every year, 1,500 people apply to get onto
0:28:24 > 0:28:26the company's apprentice scheme.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- Go! - 'Only 30 are selected.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Today, the apprentices are team building.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38I think it... It can be, sort of,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41quite intimidating for these guys coming into a company for what's
0:28:41 > 0:28:44potentially the first time, and it's a big change from moving from
0:28:44 > 0:28:48what's probably been an educational setting into the world of work.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And I think that's why we're sort of keen to do events like this
0:28:50 > 0:28:52to try and help bridge that transition and build
0:28:52 > 0:28:55the relationships they're going to need to help them move forward.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57All to the right!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00All to the right! All to the right!
0:29:00 > 0:29:02All to the left!
0:29:02 > 0:29:03All to the left!
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Starting as a water network apprentice, so there's five
0:29:05 > 0:29:08different roles I'll be trained in over the next couple of years.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11And then in the third year we'll specialise in one particular role.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14That's the way. Fantastic.
0:29:14 > 0:29:1724-year-old Faiyaz hopes to work as an engineer.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20I wanted to work for a FTSE 100 professional company
0:29:20 > 0:29:23in the North West and the opportunity came, so I took it.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29I've always had an interest in engineering from a young age.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I've played with Lego from when I was a little boy
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and it's always progressed from there.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I am ambitious, that's why I'm working at United Utilities.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39They always try to push you
0:29:39 > 0:29:41and make you progress within the company.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Most of the managers here have worked themselves to the top,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46so there is definitely an opportunity to do that.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53He may be destined for the boardroom, but not any time soon.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Today, Faiyaz is out in the field, where the real work is done,
0:29:57 > 0:29:58with the waste water team.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00It's my first day, so I'm really just
0:30:00 > 0:30:04unaware of what's out there.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Adrian is his boss for the day.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11- First things first, are you OK driving?- Yeah.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Cos I'm taking the easy route today. All right?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I can't imagine he's applied for this job and, you know,
0:30:18 > 0:30:20not have a good idea of what he's going to be faced with.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23But sometimes it can be a bit of a shock to the system
0:30:23 > 0:30:26when you first go out - it certainly was for me on my first day.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But we'll take him out and just see how he finds it.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34He may...he may think it's not for him, but I'm sure we'll get on well.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Just come back in off... from paternity leave.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40My wife's just had a...
0:30:40 > 0:30:44- Congratulations. - ..our second child.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47So, I'm a bit tired meself, and I'm probably a bit, a bit, a bit
0:30:47 > 0:30:51rusty through lack of sleep, but I'm sure we'll get there together.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Superman would be great at this job.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01If he could see underground where all blockages are.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Are you trying to say you're superman, Adrian?
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- Well, it's been said.- Is it?
0:31:09 > 0:31:11At an end of terrace house in Rochdale
0:31:11 > 0:31:13a drain has been overflowing.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- We've lived here 45 years, 46 years...- Yeah.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- ..and never had a blocked drain. - Right.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Now, whether it's coming from somewhere else and building up,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- I don't know.- Possibly, yeah.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Stephen's wife Sheila has tried to unblock the drain herself.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29We've had this...smell for quite a while.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33And obviously we've tried everything, all the products...
0:31:33 > 0:31:36nothing's happened. And then I went down and looked at it,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38and there's all sewage floating on the top.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Not pleasant, is it? And I must admit,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I am a little bit...you know, on smells.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46You know what we're like, us ladies.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47I must have half a dozen plug-in in here
0:31:47 > 0:31:50to try and make it smell nice, but you won't get rid of it.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58The mains sewer is checked for any blockages that could be
0:31:58 > 0:32:01affecting Stephen and Sheila's drain.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Right. It just looks like it's full of debris,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- so it's restricting the flow a bit, but it is still running.- Yeah.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11- I've slight doubts whether it's related to their issue.- Yeah.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14We'll just get this running best we can and then...get some
0:32:14 > 0:32:18of that debris out and then we'll have a look at what's going on.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28- Got a brick in there as well, haven't they?- Yeah.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Think we'll bob some dye in his gulley first, eh?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Yeah. Try that.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Make sure it's definitely coming in here.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- We'll let Faz do that, eh?- Yeah.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44We're going to get him to put some dye into the affected gulley
0:32:44 > 0:32:47at the customer's property, just to make sure it is running
0:32:47 > 0:32:50through to this line and we're not doing all this work for nothing.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Check that out. It's lime green.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Tend to use me with the new starters.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58This is me first time with an apprentice,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02but anybody else that's, you know any new starters.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I've trained four up so far
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and they've all gone on to do all right, so...
0:33:07 > 0:33:10No trace of the dye comes through to the main sewer,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14so I now know for sure the problem is back at the house.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17With all the rain everywhere, it's just...
0:33:17 > 0:33:21There's so much water that's held up in that drain.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Just trying to get it through.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Small Victorian sewers like this are notoriously fragile,
0:33:27 > 0:33:29so a low pressure jet is used.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32When I give you the thumbs up, you give him the thumbs up.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33If I want it off, you do that.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35If I want the pressure up, you do that.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42It's not a large job in terms of
0:33:42 > 0:33:45a collapsed sewer or a major internal flooding.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47There's nothing like that here.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Nightmare.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08What is all this? Is that tissue paper and...?
0:34:08 > 0:34:09And poo.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- Foul, is it? - Yeah, poo.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21I'm not used to it yet myself at all, to be honest.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23It is very messy at the moment.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27I wasn't it expecting it to be this bad, to be honest with you.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I think I'm actually imagining that I'm smelling it
0:34:30 > 0:34:33when I'm upstairs, even though the windows are shut,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35but I suppose it does get up, doesn't it?
0:34:35 > 0:34:36Into different parts of the house.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Right, we'll get to the bottom of it.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Yeah, yeah, what a job you've got. - We might have to stay a while,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- but we'll get to the bottom of it, all right?- Yeah, yes.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55The company needs around £1.6 billion
0:34:55 > 0:34:58each year to maintain their supply and services,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01so they rely on customers paying their bills.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Good afternoon. I need to speak to somebody who's
0:35:06 > 0:35:08responsible for paying the bills, please.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12When they don't, an estimated £15 is charged to those who do.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- AUTOMATED VOICE:- The other person has hung up.- OK, she's hung up.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18I need to speak to your accounts payable department.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Account manager Jill is trying to get money off a business
0:35:21 > 0:35:23they think owes £64,000.
0:35:23 > 0:35:24The other person has hung up.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Debts as high as this are tackled by a dedicated task force
0:35:32 > 0:35:34headed by Ian and Caroline.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37We're on it. We're chasing those people down.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42We're like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, we will find them,
0:35:42 > 0:35:46and we will take the action that we need to make sure that we get paid.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:35:52 > 0:35:55The business rents space out of a converted mill in Oldham.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57We're here with a team and with the police,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00so the plan now is we're going to disconnect the water supply
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and tarmac it in.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04The consequence of that then is there'll be no running water
0:36:04 > 0:36:07in the mill, so they'll have to stop trading today.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10The amount is an estimate.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12The meter has not been read for three years
0:36:12 > 0:36:16as company staff felt too intimidated to enter the building.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Looks like we've got a welcome committee out for us already.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26When our engineers attend on site to locate the meter,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29read the meter, they fear for their safety.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Get a bit nervous. - HE LAUGHS
0:36:32 > 0:36:35A bit nervous, but it's gotta be done. It's gotta be done.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38As a precaution, the police are also on site.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- So those guys are ready to go?- Yeah.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42So our team came out, was it...?
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- Friday.- On Friday.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47And they refused access, so we put these on here to let them
0:36:47 > 0:36:49know that we've actually been out.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54With the debt rising and no payment forthcoming,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58they decide to cut the supply off.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01What he's doing now is compacting the tarmac,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05so obviously if they try and dig it out they're going to find it very,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07very difficult to do it themselves.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- Where's the other one? - Just up the road here.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13They've just got their heads down and getting on with the jobs.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15We've got the police in attendance.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Should be out of here soon, anyway - it's a quick job.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20They know what you're doing.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- There's somebody in reception there. - All right, thanks very much.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Once the water's been cut off,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27an official notice of disconnection is served.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- Right, is that it, then? - Yeah, that's it.- Nothing else.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Erm, right, the letter... We only got a letter come yesterday
0:37:34 > 0:37:38afternoon that said that you was coming to do that and I had to speak
0:37:38 > 0:37:39to you, but he wasn't here.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42- So he was supposed to phone yous this morning.- Right, OK.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Don't know if that is anything to go off, mate,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46but he wasn't here yesterday afternoon
0:37:46 > 0:37:48- when we actually got the letter... - All right, OK.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50..that you was coming to do it.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52My guys are on stand-by to receive a call when he calls anyway.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54- Right, no worries, mate.- Thank you.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- I'll pass this on as soon as he come in.- Thank you.- All right.- Bye-bye.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Thanks for your support. INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:38:01 > 0:38:03I think it went to plan. I think the preparation paid off.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06It's been disconnected now at half past six,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10so I'm about to call our guys back at site just to update them
0:38:10 > 0:38:13so they can update the account to reflect what's happened.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15And there's every chance that they could call in now.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18There's a chance that they may pay, there's a chance that they won't.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20But if they don't pay, it doesn't stop there.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23So, yes, they'll stay disconnected,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26but the next step in the process will be we'll take them to court.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33In Rochdale, apprentice Faiyaz is with waste water team Paul
0:38:33 > 0:38:35and Adrian on a blocked drain job.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37We're just going to give it another jet.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39It looks like it might be coming back up again a little bit,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41so we've possibly partially cleared it at this point.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50It's turned out to be more of a blockage,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54so a heavy blockage considering what we initially expected.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56He seems to be doing all right, actually, doesn't he?
0:38:56 > 0:38:59It is a bit of a shock, the first time you see something like that.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02But, in fairness, this is pretty tame to what,
0:39:02 > 0:39:03you know, you can see on site.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08It-it-it'll be a good indicator at dinner time
0:39:08 > 0:39:11to see how well he's coping with it. We'll have to see what he orders.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14If he orders mushy peas, then we know he's coping all right.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20How's it looking?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22- Yeah, all right, that. - I think you loosened it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24I think I loosened it.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26We'll just wash it all down.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29We'll use the lie of the land to wash it to the
0:39:29 > 0:39:30manhole that's down there.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41- Here you go.- It's all right. - Go on, shove it in the bucket.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43You have to get your hands dirty at some point.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46It's all right. It's all right. What is it?
0:39:46 > 0:39:48It's just a...just a rag.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51- What do you mean, a rag? - Toilet wipe.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- It's all right.- It's been cleaned. - Well, shovel it down.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Shovel it down.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00You need to have a really good strong stomach to continue...
0:40:00 > 0:40:03continue doing this on a day-to-day basis.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I was just testing him to check his commitment as well.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Er, Adrian thrives on it, I think.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13It's not for everybody.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19We'll pack up then and get out of your way, if that's all right?
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- No, it... Honestly. - How was...?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I'm not worried about a bit of shit.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Been dealing with it all me life. - HE LAUGHS
0:40:28 > 0:40:31That's it. They've solved the problem, that's all that matters.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It's very easy to call people, but to compliment them...
0:40:34 > 0:40:37is few and far between. But I've got to compliment them, yeah.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39And he doesn't give compliments out easily,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41I can tell you, so there you go.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Looking forward to your sandwiches?
0:40:46 > 0:40:51Yeah, just make sure I've got no poo on me hands before I get stuck in.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52Nice.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00We attended the property at 6am this morning
0:41:00 > 0:41:04and there's two water supplies going into the mill,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07so both of those have been disconnected
0:41:07 > 0:41:09on the public highway.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12At HQ, someone from the kitchen business calls in.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- PHONE RINGS - Might be them now.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Good morning, United Utilities, you're speaking to Jill.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20How can I help?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Hiya. I just want... First of all,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26- I apologise for bills not being paid, yeah.- Right.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I want to sort all this out.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I want to set up like a...
0:41:30 > 0:41:34some, er, some payments more...
0:41:34 > 0:41:35WOMAN: Tell 'em the bill's dated wrong.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Yeah, you know the bill? It's dated wrong.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- I'm only moved to the mill on a March...- May.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44..May, 2011.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46I can hear somebody in the background feeding you
0:41:46 > 0:41:48the information. Can you...?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51It's just my secretary just passing me the paperwork.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Can I just confirm to you that our calls are being recorded here?
0:41:54 > 0:41:56- Yeah, yeah. - And what's your position?
0:41:56 > 0:41:58I'm-I'm a proprietor.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- You're the proprietor. So the owner of the business?- Yes.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And do you actually own the building?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Yeah. Sorry, no, I'm renting the... I'm renting it.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11You're renting, and have you, at any time, contacted us to let us
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- know you're occupying the property? - No.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17The only way, at this present moment,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20that we're going to reconnect you, is if you make a payment in full.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Full payment is wrong. Sorry, it's wrong.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Right, OK.- I'm not going to pay you 63 grand if I'm...
0:42:27 > 0:42:29I'm not going to pay for three years for someone else.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Right, well, as I said to you before,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34because you haven't provided us with that information,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36unfortunately, we can't do anything about that.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40You need to get those details to us. Hello?
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Hello?
0:42:42 > 0:42:45He obviously got uncomfortable when you started asking questions.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48I could hear, in the background, the feed coming through
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- from somebody whispering. - We'll listen to the call.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Possibly, Vicky, I don't know...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54with the information regarding the account details.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58Caroline listens to the recording.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00You hear the words clearly, a female's voice, saying,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02"Tell them the bills are wrong."
0:43:02 > 0:43:06And then he repeats that to say the bills are wrong.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09He then says, when Jill says, "Do you own the mill?"
0:43:09 > 0:43:12He says, "Yes." And then he says, "Er, er, er, no."
0:43:12 > 0:43:16More interestingly, wherever that call's coming from,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19there's numerous people in the background.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21My concern now is that mill's still open.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23I'll listen to the rest of the call now,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25see what other nuggets we can pull out.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37Clifton Country Park is a beauty spot in Lancashire.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Today, there's something in the water.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43A sewer under the bed of the River Irwell has burst
0:43:43 > 0:43:46and is spewing waste from nearby Bolton.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50I needed the storage, so that if we got a line solution in,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52we can cure a liner in 12 hours.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55Project manager Stewart Bell is in charge of repairing
0:43:55 > 0:43:57it as quickly as possible.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01There's a pressurised pipeline that runs beneath the river
0:44:01 > 0:44:04and that pipe's failed, and it's now leaking.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07It's pre-treated sewage.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10It's leaking through, you know, fractures in the pipe, so we're not
0:44:10 > 0:44:15getting a great deal of solids entering the water course.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17But there is, you know, there is an element of sewage effluent
0:44:17 > 0:44:19entering the river.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Polluting the river spells environmental disaster
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and can incur unlimited fines.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27We get big fines from the Environment Agency,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31and so we need to try and control it as quickly as we can.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35It'll be things like sanitary products, wipes, condoms,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38they're the type of nasties that we get,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41and we really don't want them things floating in the river.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42It's not good.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46The flow rate in this pipeline is around 700 litres a second.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49If you can imagine a carton of milk, a one-litre carton of milk,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53700 of those per second, so it is quite a substantial flow.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55You know, if ultimately we had a total failure,
0:44:55 > 0:44:59the effluent exiting the pipe there could potentially be up to,
0:44:59 > 0:45:01you know, 20 feet in height.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04So far, only 10% is getting into the river.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11The plan is to seal off the flow of sewage going into the broken pipe.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17But Bolton's sewage has to go somewhere -
0:45:17 > 0:45:20that somewhere is into a temporary pipe built
0:45:20 > 0:45:22over ground that will snake through the local park.
0:45:37 > 0:45:38You can't rush these guys.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41These guys are specialists and they're allowing
0:45:41 > 0:45:44us to keep this main live, which is obviously the critical thing.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48We don't want anything to go wrong.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Oh, yes, little bit of stink.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- Would you like a cupful? - HE LAUGHS
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- Makes your hair grow.- He's right. - THEY LAUGH
0:46:01 > 0:46:04A workforce of 30 will work round the clock to get
0:46:04 > 0:46:06the temporary pipe ready.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09My guess is this job's going to cost £1 million, easy.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Er, but I think, really, for companies like us,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15it's more about doing the right thing. Reputation is everything.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17We do not want to pollute the environment.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23Oldham.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Caroline and Ian have returned to the mill.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29They suspect the business is still trading and using water illegally.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Oop.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37That's one way to open a gate.
0:46:39 > 0:46:40That was a bit spectacular.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43'We were given a reading two days ago, which is 1398.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46'We've just read the meter now, and it's 1402,'
0:46:46 > 0:46:51so there's four units difference in two days...of the meter.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Erm, now we've shut it off on the street, on the pavement,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57so there's nothing going into that building to go through the meter.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00So it just... It-it-it can't register consumption
0:47:00 > 0:47:03because there's no consumption for it to pick up.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07- So...that is what... That is what's been taken out.- Yeah.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09Innit?
0:47:09 > 0:47:12So that's been taken out it.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- So could it be possible then that's been connected up...?- Possible.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17..and that would explain why there's four digits difference...
0:47:17 > 0:47:20- Possible.- ..in two days. - Can't prove it. Possible, yeah.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23So it's round four digits. It's been shut off there.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27Draw your own conclusions as to what's happened, potentially.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Dawn the following day.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Caroline sanctions a team to concrete over all outside access
0:47:34 > 0:47:36points to the water supply.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44- So I think we just concrete them all in, all three.- Yeah.- Let's not...
0:47:44 > 0:47:48- Right, let's go and do them.- Yep. - There's three valves down there.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52We're going to lift each individual one up and fill them with concrete,
0:47:52 > 0:47:56and then we're going to pour water on it and it'll set solid.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59So they can't do what they've done over this last couple of weeks,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01dig them out and re-use the water.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Plan A didn't work. Whatever's been done has been undone,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08so this is Plan B.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13And Plan C will be, most likely, that we cut the pipe in the street.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16It's a big job to get this out.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19They're going to have to pull the whole grid up to get to it now,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21so it's a big job.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Is there any way to lock those in position...?
0:48:24 > 0:48:26- Unfortunately not.- No.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29We came, we saw, we concreted, basically.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30We'll check it in a few days
0:48:30 > 0:48:34because someone could come at it with...a jackhammer.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37If this is disturbed again, then it will be...
0:48:37 > 0:48:40We'll have to go to more extreme measures, and it
0:48:40 > 0:48:44might be we dig up and we cap the supply.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46You absolutely don't want to do that,
0:48:46 > 0:48:48but we're not going to keep coming out.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50We're not playing cat and mouse.
0:48:50 > 0:48:55Finally, after three years, they get in to take a meter reading.
0:48:55 > 0:49:01The eye-watering £64,000 estimate is reduced to just over £15,000.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05A few weeks later, the bill is paid in full and supply reconnected.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13The Lake District, Cumbria.
0:49:14 > 0:49:1815 million people visit the region every year,
0:49:18 > 0:49:20putting a strain on the sewer network.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26Carlisle Wastewater Treatment Works is one of the plants under pressure.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28Andy is process controller.
0:49:28 > 0:49:34On average we treat around 35 megalitres a day of sewage,
0:49:34 > 0:49:36which is quite a sizeable amount.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38When a waste stream comes in,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42it needs to be checked to make sure it is what it says it is.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46So that... In the past we have had companies bringing
0:49:46 > 0:49:49stuff in that they say is septic tank waste, and they turn out
0:49:49 > 0:49:53to be a little bit of septic tank waste and some industrial chemical
0:49:53 > 0:49:57that they've taken a cash-in-hand thing, but not so much now.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01So we'll just take it, we'll have a look at it, we'll smell it,
0:50:01 > 0:50:02and we'll check the pH.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Carlisle is getting ready to treat all the waste
0:50:05 > 0:50:07from a local music festival.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11We've got Kendal Calling, a festival down in Kendal,
0:50:11 > 0:50:15and basically the population of the town is virtually going to
0:50:15 > 0:50:19double, so they'll have a lot of chemical toilets on site.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21I couldn't think of anything worse.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24It's for a certain type of person, a festival, isn't it?
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Me daughter would go. Daughter would gladly go, but not for me.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30Les is in charge of sampling.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32I'm sure there'll be a bit of drinking goes on at the festival,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35so I'd say the toilets will be pretty busy.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44You can smell alcohol in it, definitely.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46As soon as they bring it back there's a difference.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Obviously it's chemical toilets that you're dealing with too,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51but you can smell that there's alcohol in it.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55An influx of 15,000 are due to party this year.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I don't think they do a lot of eating at festivals, do they?
0:50:58 > 0:51:01They just drink. I don't think there's much eating
0:51:01 > 0:51:03at festivals, so it'll just be...
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Just be a lot of pee and that's it, really,
0:51:05 > 0:51:07so it shouldn't be too bad.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10The Portaloos have to be emptied constantly.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Chris works for the supplier.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Well, I'm doing this most of the time.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19So, in one way or other, septic tanks, or these. Yeah.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23Doing all those jobs that nobody else wants to do, so...
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Oh, there's not many volunteers to take over, anyhow.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Shed your undies, clean bot.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Oh, socks, underpants, yeah.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35They run out of toilet paper and they use owt that's at hand.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37HE LAUGHS
0:51:37 > 0:51:40They must live like animals if they treat their own toilets like this.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45Two weeks ago, we found a darts trophy in one.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48It's just surprising what people eat.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51HE LAUGHS
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Yeah, I wouldn't want to be sitting down in a thunder box, would you?
0:52:00 > 0:52:05Ugh! On a hot sunny day, four little plastic walls,
0:52:05 > 0:52:09all that crap underneath you. Nah, it's not going to smell nice, is it?
0:52:10 > 0:52:15Dave works for an independent waste collection service.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17These lads are doing some of the smaller toilets,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20the thunder boxes as we call them.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24They can get with the... Travel on the wet ground.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27So these lads are fetching it to us and we're taking it off site.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Well, I'm fairly full but...
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- You got enough room? - I'm not sure.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37If we haven't, you might need some wellies.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42As you can see on the sight glass, we're nearly full.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44You see the readings go up 200 at a time.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49We're sitting at 3,500 now. We'll go to four.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Dave does four trips a day to Carlisle treatment works.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01I added it up and I think we've got to 58,500 gallons.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06You've got to have certain tolerances.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09It's got to come between certain guidelines.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12These lads in here'll tell you.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15Got to do this without getting covered.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Testing to see what the pH is.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21It's gotta be above five and it's got to be below ten.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24If it's not in the count we can't do it onto that. We can't tip it.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29Had plenty of women turn me away, but not at a treatment plant, no.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32If the sample is rejected, Dave will have to keep
0:53:32 > 0:53:35the waste in his truck or dump it at a landfill site.
0:53:35 > 0:53:40- 5.20. Water'll be about what? Seven, is it?- Yeah.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47See it? Away it goes.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53I'll still be smelling that, what did we call it?
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Ammonia, whatever it is.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Still be smelling it.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58That's it.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00'I'll not sleep tonight thinking about it.'
0:54:13 > 0:54:16It's been ten days since a burst sewer
0:54:16 > 0:54:18began polluting the River Irwell.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24A team of engineers has laid a temporary sewage pipe running
0:54:24 > 0:54:25through Clifton Country Park.
0:54:28 > 0:54:29I've just been fishing down here.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32They come down with all their heavy-duty machinery
0:54:32 > 0:54:33and started digging it up.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35And now it's just like threaded, as you can see,
0:54:35 > 0:54:38straight through here, straight across the river.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39I couldn't believe the scale of it.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- Didn't expect to find this. - No, it is a big shock.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Yeah, just a bit awkward at the moment with the...mobility scooter.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52The wheels are not going to make it up there.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- You're not going to get it up. - A challenge.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57It is a very big challenge.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01No, we'll have to go all the way back again. Come on, Fudgey.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Come back when it's all sorted. - Right, let's go.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Now, they just have to make sure there are no leaks.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14We'll then... We'll follow the line up the path,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16just monitor the pipe for the next half an hour, an hour,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18just to make sure there's no leaks or anything.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21Exciting stuff.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23ON RADIO: The guys on the bridge,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27can we...stop anybody going over the bridge while we
0:55:27 > 0:55:28charge this pipe up, please?
0:55:28 > 0:55:32Can you start the pumps and put them on a slow ramp?
0:55:32 > 0:55:34Pray to the gods now.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35This is it.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Pumps on now. Pumps on.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Pumps are starting now, so you should,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Paul, if you're down by the river, you should notice effluent
0:55:43 > 0:55:46start, then it will stop as soon as this line stops in place.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49OK, nothing yet. I'll tell you when I see it.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51OK, take her up to 70.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54Going up to 70%, lads.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56If anyone has a problem anywhere on this pipeline,
0:55:56 > 0:55:58shout and I'll get these pumps switched off.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01Paul Rigby, you noticing anything down at that riverbed?
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Really reduced flows down here at the minute.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06It's not stopped yet, I'm assuming it'll take a couple of minutes,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09but it's a lot, lot lower than it was previously.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14Excellent. Well, that...that's good news. That ties in with this valve.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18The increase in the pump rate is too much for one section.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22MAN ON RADIO: We've got a leak halfway round.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It's spouting out about three foot out the pipe.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29What side of the bridge is that, Zach?
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Erm, Salford side. Actual pressure in the pipe that's causing it.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36It's a two-foot squirt coming out the top of the pipe.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Are we thinking it's air or is it effluent streaming out of there?
0:56:39 > 0:56:41I'd say effluent.
0:56:44 > 0:56:45Repeat that, please?
0:56:45 > 0:56:48Leak has stopped on the bridge.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50Bit of good news.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56Anyone got any leaks of any sort of magnitude they want to report?
0:56:56 > 0:56:59I'm clear, Stewart. No leaks here, mate.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Paul Rigby, can you just give us an update from the river?
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Yeah, the bubbling's stopped completely now.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08Still got the mistiness coming from it, so hopefully...
0:57:08 > 0:57:11once this main empties itself, hopefully that'll stop.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14- Great result.- But the bubbling's stopped completely,
0:57:14 > 0:57:15just the mistiness in the river.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Just needs to watch see if the discolouration
0:57:17 > 0:57:21disappears in the river, and then we're home and dry then.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Just looking down on you Paul from up here.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25The mistiness looks like it's gone.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Cheers, gents.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30The effluent discharging into the Irwell has stopped,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34so at this stage it looks like the line's stops have been effective.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Looks like we've... looks like we've done it.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Just checking for gold.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Before you start a job, you always check for gold.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51- BEEPING - Gas leak.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Just stir the soup up.