Hackney manhole leak flowing for ‘four years’

Reiner Tegtmeyer slammed Thames Water’s “utter disregard” for people’s concerns. Photograph: LDRS

A stubborn manhole leak at a busy Hackney junction has prompted criticism over Thames Water’s “incompetence”, with a resident claiming it has been an intermittent issue for four years.

Stoke Newington residents have been left frustrated as a sewer hatch on Manor Road has spilled “immeasurable” amounts of water onto the kerb which they say has hardened during the winter months, causing slippery surfaces.

The current leak has been ongoing since January according to Thames Water’s records.

However, Reiner Tegtmeyer claims it is a problem that has been rearing its head periodically for four years and the current leak has been flowing uninterrupted since summer 2025.

He says he has repeatedly contacted the water company alerting them to the problem, as well as reporting the leak to the council’s Highways Department in August 2025.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “This is not only huge waste of a huge amount of fresh water, but poses a serious risk of accidents during freezing temperatures.”

After his report to the council’s highways team, Mr Tegtmeyer received a response the following day, explaining that Thames Water was “aware of the leak and would send out an engineer to investigate”.

But months went by and no repairs were carried out, he said.

Mr Tegtmeyer asked the utility company for an update in November 2025, and a chatbot repeatedly told him to report the leak – despite his having already done so.

Then in December, Thames Water said the case had been closed but raised a new request regarding the problem.

He asked for an update in January this year, when an actual team member said the job was waiting due to traffic management.

Mr Tegtmeyer, who is standing for election as a Green party candidate for Stoke Newington in May’s local elections, told the LDRS that in the meantime he had witnessed first-hand a moped driver “slipping on the frozen water and falling to the tarmac”.

“This is incompetence and utter disregard for customers and citizens’ concerns, and requests for urgent repair works and safety measures,” he said.

Mr Tegtmeyer said the manhole leak on Manor Road had been recurring intermittently for four years. Photograph: Reiner Tegtmeyer

When the LDRS first contacted Thames Water about the issue in January, the company said the leak was only reported on 14 January.

A Thames Water spokesperson said they would fix it “as soon as possible”.

At the time, Hackney Council confirmed to the LDRS they had recently escalated the issue with the water company. However, the leak has persisted.

On 2 March, another resident, Tariq Butt, lobbied the utility provider to address the ongoing spill. He was informed that engineers would be sent to deal with the matter.

It’s dry today, but cover is actively leaking!! I KNOW it’s not surface water, so should ur colleague …see for urself, middle cover, as clear as day . And look at the pothole too!! Water erosion..again, clearly. ALL NEEDS SORTING pic.twitter.com/X88XqN55zs

— Tariq (@tariqzilla) March 10, 2026

A few days later he flagged the issue again, but a service team member denied it was a leak and claimed it was actually rainwater.

They informed him the company had closed the job.

But after Mr Butt sent images to show an active leak, Thames Water said it would inspect in the coming days. “It’s very real, believe me,” Mr Butt said.

When the LDRS visited the site last Wednesday (25 March) Mr Tegtmeyer said engineers had recently come and poured tarmac around the manhole to stem the flow, but this had quickly eroded and water was still seeping out.

When the LDRS contacted Thames Water a second time about the issue, the company declined to confirm how long the leak had been going on and whether it was able to fix it.

Instead, the LDRS received a similar statement to Thames Water’s earlier response in January.

A spokesperson said: “The leak at the junction of Manor Road and Stamford Hill in Hackney was reported to us on 14 January and we have identified the issue.

“Due to the nature of the junction, traffic management will be required for the safety of motorists and our engineers. We will carry out the repair as soon as possible.”