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Duffryn update: 11pm, Tuesday 14 February
QUESTION ANSWER
What's the latest situation?  To safely repair further leaks that occurred on the underground pipework on Monday 13 February, we need to turn off the heating and hot water to all homes across the Duffryn estate.
The system will be turned off from midnight on Tuesday 14 February. We estimate that the heating and hot water supply will need to stay off for three days.
What will happen now? We’re doing everything we can to carry out repairs safely while limiting the disruption to your hot water and heating supply.  We will provide regular updates as we work to repair this issue.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this time and please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.
How long will this last for? We don't know how long it will take to complete these repairs. Our engineers are working hard to get it done as quickly as possible but it's also essential that we keep them safe as they work. We anticipate that the hot water and heating will need to stay off for three days from midnight on Tuesday 14 February. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this time and please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused. 
Why does it need to be off for three days? We will do everything we can to get the supply back on as soon as possible, but we know it can be helpful to know how long it will take. These repairs are likely to take three days becuase the pipework runs about 8ft underground, and finding the leaks, excavating the area safely and sourcing the right materials to carry out the repair takes time. Our engineers are working around the clock, and we're very grateful for support from partners and suppliers.
What's causing the problem? A number of leaks have occured on sections of pipework underground. We are investigating the cause of the leaks as well as working on the repairs, so we can do what we can to prevent it from happening again. We know that some of the pipes are old, and as they degrade over time, cracks or holes can form. We are looking at long term solutions to make sure this doesn't happen again.
You repaired leaks last week, why is this happening again? two additional leaks have occured in new places on Monday 13 February. We are investigating the cause of these new leaks as well as working on the repairs, so we can do what we can to prevent it from happening again.
Why is it such a complicated issue? The pipework runs about 8ft underground. So finding the leaks, excavating the area safely and sourcing the right materials to carry out the repair can all take time. Our engineers are working around the clock, and we're very grateful for support from partners and suppliers. 
Who is helping you to get this fixed? We're hugely grateful to partners and suppliers across South Wales and the west of England who have helped us source supplies. We also have technical experts on hand to help us investigate why this is happening, and find a long term solution that works for customers. We'd like to thank; South Wales Fire & Rescue Service, Pobl, Wales & West Utilities, Welsh Water, BPS Facilities, Saldo, Gibson Heating, ADS Solutions.
I don't have a heater. What can I do? We have temporary heaters and blankets, if you need one of these please let us know on 01633 38 11 11. They can also be collected from Nightingale Court.
Is there somewhere I can go? Newport has a Warm Welcomes scheme, with a number of warm spaces across the city you can visit. Find the full list here https://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Support-and-Advice/Warm-welcome-sessions.aspx
What's the longer term strategy to resolve this? We are investigating the cause of the leaks as well as working on the repairs, so we can do what we can to prevent it from happening again. We know that some of the pipes are old, and as they degrade over time, cracks or holes can form. We are looking at long term solutions to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I'm still charged if my heating goes off. Can I get a refund? We understand you are incurring additional costs to heat your homes with portable heaters.  We will re-imburse reasonable expenses by making a payment of £20 for each day heating and hot water has been unavailable, including the days it was off last week. 
We will arrange this payment once supplies have been restored. If you are on a prepayment meter and need immediate financial assistance, please contact us.
I'm on a prepayment meter and heaters cost me money. Can you help?  If you are on a prepayment meter and need immediate financial assistance, please contact us. We understand you are incurring additional costs to heat your homes with portable heaters.  We will re-imburse reasonable expenses by making a payment of £20 for each day heating and hot water has been unavailable.  
   
Is the Duffryn heating system safe? Could a leak spring up in my house?  The pipes in your home are safe, and it's unlikely these will leak. Where the leaks are occuring outside, we are making the area safe with fencing to stop public access.
Why is there a district heating system and how does it work? You can find out more about the heating system in general and how it works on our website information page. https://www.newportcityhomes.com/httpportalnewportcityhomescomabout-us/httpportalnewportcityhomescomabout-usnews/statement-on-duffryn-heating-system/
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We're aware of a small number of customers in Duffryn who now have heating but no hot water. 
If you have heating, but no hot water, please call us on 01633 381111 to report it so we can take a look. 
It is likely that this issue is due to air in the system, which should resolve itself over the next few hours.

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Update: 6.30pm on Saturday 11th February 2023

Our Executive Director of Operations, Sonia Furzland, is at Nightingale Court and here’s her latest update. 👇
The repairs we have put in place are working, and heating and hot water is continuing to return to homes across the estate.
This will be our final update, but we'll continue to monitor the heating system. Thank you again to everyone across the community for your patience and understanding while we’ve been dealing with this challenging issue. 👏👏

 

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Our teams have found the second leak and applied a repair. We're now repressurising our system.
This means that any affected customers should start to see heating and hot water return to their homes this evening.
Our Executive Director of Operations, Sonia Furzland, is still on site, and she explains more in the video below.
We’re working slowly to make sure that the system is working as it should be and check for any other issues, but we’re optimistic that we should be able to return to normal services soon. It may take a few hours to see the heating and hot water come back on as our system gets back up and running.
If you'd like to know how we depressurise the heating system, take a look at this explanation from our Heating Engineer Olly:
We're truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused the community, and we’re very grateful for the many wonderful comments we have received on social media and for our teams on the ground.
Thank you for your patience whilst we’ve carried out this essential work.

 

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Sonia, our Executive Director of Operations is on site with an update today, where we’re still working to repair the burst pipe in Duffryn. A second leak is making this a complex repair, but we're doing all we can to get it fixed as quickly and safely as possible.
We’ve been working to repair the burst pipe in Duffryn, and heating and hot water should now be back on for a lot of customers.
For some homes in Woodside and Sandpiper way, we have more work to do to restore the supply.
We understand the urgency and inconvenience and our engineers are working hard to repair the pipe as soon as possible.
NCH colleagues are at Nightingale Court and out in the community today. If you are still without heating and you'd like to pick up a temporary heater, come and see us at Nightingale Court. If you can't get to us we can deliver, just give us a call on 01633 381 111.

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We’ve made some progress with repairing the burst pipe in Duffryn, and heating and hot water should now be back on for around half of the homes on the estate.

For some homes in Woodside and Sandpiper way, we have more work to do to restore the supply. We understand the urgency and inconvenience and we're doing all we can to get this complicated issue fixed.

NCH colleagues are available overnight to support you with access to temporary heating. Our phone lines are always open, so please contact us if you need additional help or support on 01633 381111.

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We’re continuing to work on repairing the burst pipe in Duffryn, and you can see some of this work below.
We don’t have a timescale for completing the repair at this time, but we understand the urgency and inconvenience this has caused the local community and we’re working hard to get this fixed as soon as possible.
NCH colleagues are also at Nightingale Court to support local residents with access to temporary heating, and our teams are continuing to visit homes across the estate this afternoon to talk to residents about our work and answer any questions you may have.
Please contact us if you feel that you need additional help or support on 01633 381111 or send us a DM.
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Our engineers are still on site in Duffryn working to fix the burst pipe that is affecting heating and hot water supplies.
Our Head of Compliance and Building Safety, Henry Simms, is there with his team and has provided a quick update on how work is progressing – take a look below.
We don’t have a timescale for completing the repair at the moment, but our team is working hard to get this fixed as soon as possible for the local community.
We’re sorry that this is taking so long, and we can offer additional support for any vulnerable customers who may need it. Please call us on 01633 381111 or send us a DM so we can take a look.
Our colleagues are visiting homes across the estate this afternoon to make sure everyone has the latest update and to answer any questions you may have. If you’re not home, we’ll leave a note with the latest information.
Thank you for your patience whilst we carry out this essential work.

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Due to a burst pipe in the Duffryn area, we’re having some issues with the water and heating around the estate.

We have engineers working through the night to repair the problem, and we’ll get this sorted as soon as possible.

If you or someone you live with is vulnerable and needs access to heating or hot water sooner, let us know and we can help.

We do have a limited number of temporary heaters and blankets for our most vulnerable customers, if you need one of these please let us know on 01633 38 11 11.

We're sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while we work on this repair. We will keep you updated on our work.