Earlier this year, the community experienced a number of leaks on the Duffryn district heating network, affecting heating and hot water supplies across the estate. Here’s an update on our work, and our plans over the next few months.
What have we been doing since the leaks happened?
As part of our regular monitoring, we have always replaced aging pipework across the heat network and carried out localised repairs. However, over recent months this work has become more frequent, and the leaks have become more severe.
After the recent outages, we commissioned specialists to review the overall performance of the heat network. We carried out thermal drone imaging and heat mapping to help us see what’s happening in more detail.
What did the surveys say?
The pipes connecting the district heating system to homes across Duffryn are aging and need to be replaced.
We found several large leaks and some smaller leaks across the network during our survey work. These leaks are causing the pipes to lose water, which is affecting the hot water pressure and overall performance.
These leaks can become very big, very quickly. When this happens, they can stop the system from working, which is why we saw outages earlier this year across the estate that affected heating and hot water supplies.
Because the overall pipework is older, the emergency repair work we’re carrying out is adding additional pressure to the system – so new leaks are appearing or becoming worse every time we apply a repair.
How will we fix it?
From Autumn 2023, we will be starting a full replacement of the pipework connecting the district heating system in Duffryn. This essential work will improve the performance of the district heating system and offer a much better experience for you.
How long will this work take?
We expect this work to take a number of months and last until Spring/Summer 2024. The Duffryn heating system is supported by over seven kilometres of pipework which runs underneath the ground. This includes underneath main roads, NCH homes and privately owned homes, and it was originally put in place during the 1970s.
Replacing this pipework is a complex project that needs careful planning, and we’ll be working closely with partners such as Newport City Council and the Highways Agency.
What happens next?
We’ll shortly be appointing a principal contractor who will carry out this work in partnership with our team. At this stage, we expect excavation work to begin in October 2023. You may see our teams out and about before this as we start preliminary work.
How will this work affect me?
Our teams are working hard to plan this work with minimal disruption to the local community. This includes laying the new pipes alongside the existing pipes, which will mean fewer interruptions to your supply as we work.
However, due to the location of the pipework across Duffryn, there will be some unavoidable disruption.
- We will need to connect the new pipes to the boiler house, and this work is expected to happen in Spring 2023. At this point, there will be a loss of service as we connect the pipes, but we’ll let you know about this closer to the time
- As we’re carrying out this complex work, we may see further leaks on the current system. If this happens, we may need to shut down the heating system to carry out any urgent repairs.
We’ll do our best to keep this to a minimum and we’ll write to you directly with any important information.
A small number of households will need additional work carried out, and we have written to these homes directly.
How will I be kept updated on this work?
- We’ll share regular updates on our Facebook and social media pages
- Our website will be updated regularly
- Where possible, we’ll write to you in advance of any disruption to supplies
- We’ll write to you with any significant updates
Who can I speak to about this work?
Our teams will be holding regular drop-in sessions in Duffryn over the coming months at our NCH trailer. Our upcoming dates are listed below, and we’ll hold further events as our work progresses.
Join us at Sandpiper Way on Tuesday 29 August. Our teams will be there from 10am – 4pm.
I had problems with pressure and low temperatures before the leaks, will replacing the pipes improve this?
We believe that the new pipework will improve the temperature of water across the estate. The pressure of the water in the pipes is fed directly from Welsh Water.
Will I receive any reimbursement or compensation?
If we do need to turn off the system, or if a leak affects supplies, we’ll continue to reimburse you £20 if you are without heating and hot water for a period of more than four hours. This will increase by £20 for every 24 hours that your supply is disrupted.
Any reimbursement payments will be credited directly to heating accounts.
We’ll try our very best to keep any disruption during this essential work to a minimum for the community, and we really appreciate your patience and support for our colleagues during our work earlier this year.
We’ll provide a further update on our work soon.