Work still ongoing a year on from major Leicestershire gas outage
Work on the aftermath of a major outage which left thousands in Leicestershire without gas is still ongoing. Cadent Gas delcared a major incident in the wake of the outage which happened in January 2024 and cut off supplies in two village.
More than 2,700 properties in and around Kirby Muxloe and Ratby were impacted last January 30, with the outage lasting more than a week for some. The incident was caused by a burst Severn Trent water main which saw more than 100,000 litres of water enter gas pipes.
Since the outage, Cadent has worked to pump out the water from pipes. Hundreds of water damaged boilers, gas hobs and ovens have been replaced by Severn Trent, with the full cost covered by the company.
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But, a year on, efforts are still ongoing to ensure there is no further impact for residents. Cadent said it is now in the process of removing the final traces of water from the gas lines. Just “half an egg cup” of water can disrupt the network, the company added.
Richard Sansom, Network Director for Cadent in the East Midlands, said: “Reflecting back to this time last year, I think it is fair to say that the scale of the incident we faced was mammoth. To have so many homes and businesses without gas in the middle of winter is something we hope never happens, but unfortunately it did. I am incredibly proud of the work that we did to restore gas supplies in Ratby and Kirby Muxloe. But I am even more proud – and grateful – for the way that the local community rallied round in support of each other, and also in support of our engineers who worked around the clock to get the issue dealt with.
“Just half an egg cup of water can stop a gas network from working as it should. In Ratby and Kirby Muxloe, over 100,000 litres of water entered our pipes which demonstrates the scale of the issue. We have continued to work in the area to ensure that people’s gas supplies remain stable, and we will always be committed to the people of Ratby and Kirby Muxloe.”
Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport and who represents Ratby on the authority, was personally affected by the outage. He said: “This incident was awful for residents of Ratby and parts of Kirby Muxloe, but it was fantastic to see the community come together so quickly, and so resolutely to support those in need.
“I’ve been working with residents and Cadent Gas to ensure that the community is supported, and Cadent have been proactive in ensuring that replacement boilers are installed by Severn Trent Water, and signpost residents if they’ve had any issues.
“I’m grateful to Cadent Gas for their quick work following [the] gas outage. They have been a tremendous support to our local community, and I’m pleased that they’re making sure that the final, tiny traces of water are eliminated from our system.”