Search for source of Charlotte's Tears - Mystery of leak at Archway pub

Published: 13 January 2012
by PETER GRUNER`- ISLINGTON TRIBUNE - ORIGINAL STORY

THEY call it “Charlotte’s tears” after Charlotte Despard, the suffragette imprisoned in Holloway.

It is a mystery leak that sends water running down the wall of an underpass beneath an Archway pub named after the turn-of-last-century agitator.

However, over the years the leak, about half a litre an hour, has amounted to enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and Thames Water still can’t find the source.

Pub landlord Chris Sparks says the water tastes good enough to drink. He has even jokingly thought of bottling it and serving it to customers.

The trouble is there is rather a lot of it. Mr Sparks estimates that at least 90,000 litres of water – enough to fill 420 beer barrels – are being lost each year.

Mr Sparks, who doesn’t like to see waste, has regularly complained about the leak since he took over the Charlotte Despard pub in Archway Road two years ago.

He said: “According to a Thames Water engineer this water may have been leaking for pos­sibly 10 or more years.

Engineers come out with listening devices to try and track the leak but complain they can’t hear anything because of the noise of traffic.

“It’s appalling when you think we are all constantly being implored to conserve water and warned of potential droughts.”

Now Mr Sparks, with the help of Lib Dem councillor Arthur Graves, is hoping to call time on the leak.

“This is treated water,” he said. “I know because I can taste the fluoride.

It probably comes from a broken main somewhere or even the reservoir ­further up the hill towards Highgate.

“It shouldn’t be all that difficult to find the source.”

Cllr Graves said that Thames Water should use all its resources to stop the leak.

“We are constantly being told that water is not an infinite resource,” he added.

“And here we have gallons wasting away, probably for years.

“They must have the technology to find the source.

The engineers should also contact Transport for London, who are responsible for the underpass.”