My Supply
Hydrant misuse
Water hydrants are critical resources to help the Fire Service in emergencies and help us to manage and maintain the water network.
You may not notice them, but most streets in your neighbourhood are likely to have a fire hydrant.
They are found under a cover on your road or street, a bit like a drain. These are a vital connection to water network for the emergency services.
Water hydrants are critical resources to help the Fire Service in emergencies and help us to manage and maintain the water network.
Illegal hydrant use
Some individuals and companies access our hydrants, using them to take water from the network to use themselves.
Hydrant misuse and vandalism is a criminal offence.
We’ve had cases of businesses, including some road sweepers and bin cleaners, illegally access our main water pipes through the hydrants to take water without our permission.
Problems caused by hydrant misuse
Illegal hydrant misuse can damage the hydrant, break our mains pipework and put your home or business at risk during an emergency.
It can also cause water quality and supply issues, including:
- changes to the colour of the water
- reduction in pressure
- loss of supply
- contamination
How to spot illegal hydrant use
If you see somebody taking water from a hydrant, and they’re not one of our team members or a fire fighter, they may be using the hydrant without authorisation.
Unauthorised users will use a variety of methods and different types of equipment to take water from a fire hydrant that they are accessing.
If the standpipe or equipment the person is using isn't bright green, then it’s likely to be illegal use.
Authorised hydrant users
Hydrants can only legally be accessed by authorised users.
You can tell if someone has our permission to use a hydrant based on the connection they use.
All approved users will have a large, bright green standpipe which they use to connect to the hydrant.
The bright green standpipe has the Severn Trent logo on it.
What to do if you suspect illegal water hydrant use
If you think you’ve seen somebody illegally accessing a water hydrant, you should report it to us straight away.
You can complete a digital form to report suspected hydrant misuse to us.
Please give us as much info as you can. This might include:
Date; Time; Street; Postcode; Registration number of suspect’s vehicle; Any company name on the vehicle
Don't worry if you don't have all the information, any information you provide will help us track down those responsible.
Don’t approach or confront suspected unauthorised users
Please do not attempt to approach or confront anybody you suspect of accessing a water hydrant illegally. We will do all we can to investigate and involve any necessary authorities.
You can help us by noting down where and when it happened and, if they've been there more than once, make a note of any pattern or schedule.
Check for any details of the vehicle, such as a company name, logo or number plate.
If you can, safely take a picture that shows the vehicle attached to the standpipe.
How we try to prevent illegal use
We take hydrant misuse very seriously.
We’re working with our approved equipment partner, Aquam Water Services, to investigate those people and organisations who illegally access hydrants as prevent them some doing it again.
Specialist locking caps
We’ve fitted thousands of new locking caps to the hydrants, which can only be unlocked with special tools and equipment, making it more difficult for unauthorised users to access the hydrant.
Legal action
We take legal action against companies and individuals who take water illegally from us.
We’ve issued formal cautions and warning letters to companies that have been caught illegally using Severn Trent hydrants.
There is also a number of companies currently under investigation, and some of these investigations may lead to formal cautions or even criminal prosecutions.
Constant monitoring
We continually monitor our network and carry out spot checks to make sure our hydrants aren't damaged.
This helps prevent problems for you, the emergency services, or to our day to day operations.