Cause of water leak which shut Buxton’s Crescent Hotel revealed - as Severn Trent launch investigation

Between New Year Eve and Saturday January, 4 the hotel and spa was shut and guests were turned away.

Now it has come to light the problem was caused by a metal disk, known as coupon , which is cut out of the mains supply pipe to create a new connection.

These coupons are meant to be removed but in this case it has been accidentally left in place.

The coupon was moving around within the supply pipe, which has been intermittently limiting the flow of water from the main supply.

Severn Trent explained the situation as being ‘difficult issue to detect’ and each time teams have been to site to investigate the intermittent supply issue at the hotel, the coupon has been lodged ‘open’ and the engineers were only able to find it when it was causing a problem and the pipe was ‘closed’.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “Following a thorough investigation on site, we have confirmed that a coupon was left in the new connection pipe, and this was the cause of the intermittent issues that the hotel has been experiencing. We absolutely understand how frustrating and disruptive this has been.

“We are now undertaking an investigation into how this happened and will be providing a full report to the hotel.” Severn Trent say they are working to clarify whether a Severn Trent contractor or one appointed by the Hotel undertook this work.

A spokesperson for Ensana hotels, which operates the hotel, added: “Severn Trent have undertaken extensive investigations which have shown that they left a coupon in one of the water supply pipes when work was undertaken. This has been the problem. They have apologised and a full report is being put together on the situation by the water company.

“We are working with Severn Trent to document the issue and then to go back to all of our valued guests who, as a result of this problem, did not have the best experience that they should expect.”