WELSH Water is spending £50,000 on improvements to the water supply in Wellington Heath.

The work, which should benefit up to 360 residents, follows complaints and representations from the parish council and will be completed by the end of the summer.

Last summer, the covered reservoir ran low and there was low pressure and broken water supplies to local homes, including that of the parish clerk, Pat Wilkin, whose home is by the Raycombe Lane reservoir.

Tankers were brought in to top up the reservoir and the parish council suspected that leaks in the ageing supply pipes were partly to blame for the problems.

Martin Watkins, of Welsh Water, said this week: "We are going to upgrade the distribution network. There will be new pumps at the Bradlow Service Reservoir to increase pressure in the system and to maintain the reservoir at Wellington Heath."

To further maintain levels at the Wellington Heath reservoir, the covered supply point no longer has to supply the Coddington area, with one or two exceptions.

Mr Watkins said that leak detection procedures had been carried out and some "major leaks" had been found.

"We've sorted them out now. It will be a much better system than was in operation last year," he said.

Much of Wellington Heath's supply is carried by concrete-lined asbestos pipes from the 1950s, which tend not to crack but can pull apart at the rubber joints, causing leaks.

Mr Watkins said the pipes "only posed a risk to people working on them" but, because of the concrete lining, posed no asbestos heath risk to the water supply.

Wellington Heath Parish Council is asking local people to make a note of any problems with the water supply, such as leaks, lack of pressure or any colouring or matter in the water, so that a dossier can be presented to Welsh Water.

Welsh Water is also keen to hear of any problems, on 0800 281 432.