Water industry has hit back over claims that utility reinstatements in the highway are often so poor that most have to be replaced. Regulator Ofwat has dismissed the assertion of roads management body the Joint Authorities Group (JAG UK) that two thirds of reinstatements are not up to scratch.

JAG UK manager Dave Capon told Transportation Professional that coring results from reinstatements across the UK indicate an average 65% failure rate when looking at depth of material laid and air void content. “This figure is too high and we are continually trying to work with utility companies to find out what is going wrong,” he said. “The public is being short changed because the cost of reinstatements should lie with those people digging up the roads.”

Mr Capon spoke shortly after the Local Government Association revealed that ‘shoddy streetworks’ carried out by utility firms cost taxpayers £218M a year and are having a negative impact on local economies.

But Ofwat’s chief engineer Mark Worsfold said: “I would be amazed if the figure of 65% was true, but it depends on your viewpoint.” He added that “you do get a bit of variation among highway authorities” as to the quality of reinstatement expected from utility companies and is confident that “there are dialogues going on” between the water sector and highway authorities to discuss road surface condition following streetworks.

Independent consultant Roger Elphick FCIHT added: “The figure of 65% is as a result of a substantial amount of ongoing testing by local authorities. Poor reinstatements are clearly a cause for concern because of surface damage they cause in the short term and structural damage of pavements in the long term. Discussions on these issues are ongoing.”

(Photo: Alastair Lloyd)

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