Peninsula water leaks are taking longer to fix. Here’s what Newport News Waterworks is doing about it.

Minor water leaks are becoming more common on the Peninsula and taking longer to repair, largely because of a staffing shortage at Newport News Waterworks, the region’s water service provider.

Waterworks has about 280 employees but says staffing vacancies are at 20%. About 50% of the distribution repair crew positions are vacant.

The Hampton government posted a notice last week about the leaks. The city said Waterworks has a backlog of dozens of active leaks across the Peninsula and some repairs could take up to six months to complete. The utility confirmed 98 active leaks last week, predominantly from pipes under the street.

Hampton officials said residents have noticed the recent surge in leaks and the sheer volume of leaks is straining the water provider’s resources.

Newport News Waterworks serves over 410,000 people in Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, York County and part of James City County. However, Waterworks staff said Hampton and Newport News currently have a higher probability of leaks because the infrastructure there is older.

The frequency of new leaks has not increased, according to Newport News Waterworks Director Yann Le Gouellec. What has changed is the time it takes the water provider to repair them.

The most prominent factor in the leaks is the age of the pipes, as many are several decades old.

To address the issue, Waterworks is planning to more than double annual spending on infrastructure replacements — going from about $3 million to around $7 million.

While approximately 80% of active leaks are less than four months old, Waterworks officials said a few minor leaks that are difficult to access and repair are approximately six months old. The utility prioritizes addressing the leaks that are causing or have a higher potential of causing a hazard and those that leak a larger amount of water.  According to a statement from Waterworks, any leaks considered to cause a hazard are repaired immediately.

Waterworks notes that the industry standard goal is to stay below 15 leaks per 100 miles each year and that its own five-year average is 10.4 leaks in that span.

The water provider says that staffing shortages have become a norm since the coronavirus pandemic, partly due to the retirements of older workers. Another factor is competition with the private sector, which often pays more.

Attempts to address the staffing shortage include hiring temporary workers to assist repair crews and enlisting temp agencies. Waterworks is also bringing back retirees on a part-time basis.

Waterworks performs in-house training to encourage more employees to become equipment operators, where the largest shortage of employees exists. The Newport News government also offers bonuses to employees with a commercial driver’s license, referral bonuses and additional compensation for employees working on critical infrastructure like drinking water.

The Hampton government urges residents to report any new leaks or water-related issues to 311 or Newport News Waterworks directly at 757-926-1000.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com