Water company sends UBER DRIVERS to investigate leaking pipes 'because it is cheaper for them to film the problems than to deploy a trained technician straight away' Severn Trent, which provides water in the Peak District, send taxi and Uber drivers to film around 50 reported leaks over a two weeks period The drivers sent footage to Severn who then dispatched 'appropriate teams' GMB union warned drivers would not spot contamination, risking public health By Joel Adams For Mailonline Published: 19:50 GMT, 11 March 2019 | Updated: 19:50 GMT, 11 March 2019 Viewcomments A water company has been criticised by unions for sending taxis rather than engineers to check on reports of leaks. Severn Trent sent taxi and Uber drivers to around 50 reports of small leaks. The company said doing so was 'a cheaper way to get live video footage' compared with using their own staff. Those drivers sent images to engineers back at base who dispatched the most appropriate teams to the job, Severn Trent added. But the GMB union warned the trial programme had 'huge safety implications for customers, drivers, and the public at large'. Union officials revealed the firm had used the driver scheme over two weeks, for dozens of jobs, but said customers had been unimpressed with the 'Virtual Fieldworker Programme'. Uber and taxi drivers were sent to film reported leaks and send the footage to Severn's HQ GMB national officer Stuart Fegan told the BBC: 'When I found out Severn Trent are using taxi drivers to investigate leaks, I thought it must be a joke. 'But no one is laughing - this has got huge safety implications.' Mr Fegan said water engineers were 'highly trained specialists' who could spot 'if water is contaminated and if water produces a risk to the public'. He added: 'I doubt most taxi drivers can. 'And how is someone going to feel after they report a leak, expecting a Severn Trent worker to attend with a uniform and the necessary training and a taxi driver turns up. They'd think it was a hoax call.' A union spokesman warned that untrained drivers would not spot possible contamination GMB said there had been about 50 incidents over a two-week period In a statement to the BBC Severn Trent, which serves an area stretching from the Peak District to Gloucestershire, said it had 'carried out a series of two-week trials' as it looked to find 'new, more efficient ways to find and fix leaks'. The Coventry-based company said one of its trials had involved taxi drivers being used to look at about 50 small leaks to allow engineers back at base to 'quickly assess the correct response'. The firm said: 'We're now looking at all the trial results to see the best way to help our engineers spend more time doing what's best for our customers by fixing leaks rather than simply assessing them.' Uber refused to comment. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility