Holy water!

19/08/2005

Tap water can flow into the font of a medieval church in Essex for the first time in more than eight hundred years.

Employees from Essex & Suffolk Water have installed a water supply to St Peters Church in South Hanningfield, as part of the company’s community initiative, ‘Just an hour’.

‘Just an hour’ enables employees to each give up to 12 hours of work time a year to improve local communities and the environment.

The team of nine enthusiastic water workers rolled up their sleeves and took a day to install the water supply to the historic little church, which was built in 1180.  Three hundred metres of new water pipe was installed and the holy water began to flow!

The volunteers, mostly office-based, from Canvey Island, Great Wakering, Heybridge, Hockley, Ingatestone, Leigh on Sea, Maldon and Shoeburyness were graced with lovely weather and enjoyed being outdoors – the church is set in beautiful surroundings and overlooks Hanningfield Reservoir.

Until now the congregation, ministers and wardens of the church have had to bring water from home for special occasions such as christenings.  Tony and Victoria Blackman from Rayliegh were married at St Peters and have christened all three of their daughters at the church.  Alexandra, who is nine months old, was the last of their three daughters to be christened, but the first baby ever to be christened using tap water!

Brian Olley, Essex & Suffolk’s distribution manager, who helped install the water supply said:  “It was hard work laying the water pipe, but I enjoyed the change from my usual ‘day job’.  It is very rewarding to think that St Peters church will now be able to extend and hold social occasions which the local community can get involved in and enjoy.”

“As a company, we don’t only supply our customers with water but we are also immersed in community life.  Hanningfield Reservoir, which the church overlooks, is our largest reservoir holding more than 26,000 million litres of water and the nearby treatment works provides 750,000 customers with top quality water every day.  The workers and visitors of St Peters church can now also enjoy tip top tap!”

For further information, or interviews with Brian Olley, the Blackman family and the church wardens, please contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.

Note to Editors:  Hanningfield Reservoir supplies Basildon, Benfleet, Brentwood, Canvey Island, Grays, Hockley, Hornchurch, Rayliegh, Rainham, Rochford, Shoeburyness, Southend, Standford le Hope, Thurrock, Tilbury, Upminster, Wickford.