EXPERTS are due to assess Bradford’s stricken Mirror Pool next week following a mains water pipe exploding in the plant room a month ago.

Bosses at the Council are hopeful that, once the detailed investigations are complete, some functions can be restored to the popular water feature as soon as possible.

But until then there is no timetable for when it could be fully back up and running again.

The Mirror Pool, which opened in 2012 as part of the £24.6m redevelopment of that area of the city centre, has been completely out of action since April 14, following the burst - which flooded the plant room and caused extensive damage to the fountains system.

Bradford Council has now confirmed that although specialists have been called in to investigate the cause of the problem, a detailed investigation has been delayed while the equipment in the pump room dried out.

This thorough check will now take place next week and will be done by Fountain Workshop, the expert firm which designed, built and maintains the water feature.

It is hoped they will report back within a week with the true extent of the damage the burst pipe caused and details on what can be repaired as well as what equipment needs replacing.

PREVIOUS STORY: 'major pipe burst' puts Mirror Pool out of action

Claire Wilkinson, the Council’s economic development manager, confirmed to the Telegraph & Argus during a tour of the out-of-action plant room in City Park, that a contingency fund was already in place and was expected to cover all the costs associated with getting the sophisticated equipment back in working order.

It is the first time a major issue has hit the Mirror Pool and the first time it has been out of action for such a long period of time.

The water had come with such force, you can see where it has shattered the pipe. It also blew the end of the pipe off, so the whole of that pipework will have to be replaced

- Claire Wilkinson, Bradford Council's economic development manager

Mrs Wilkinson added that the equipment was getting to the end of its predicted 10-year lifespan, so may be more effective to bring in newer, more efficient and modern equipment as technology will have improved.

She described the City Park Mirror Pool as a “gem” in the centre of Bradford and that there was no question that the necessary repairs would be taking place to allow it to function again.

Mrs Wilkinson described how staff were alerted to the burst pipe due to an alarm going off in the plant room. An automatic cut-off feature meant that when the water reached a certain level around the sump area, the mains water had shut off.

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“The water had come with such force, you can see where it has shattered the pipe. It also blew the end of the pipe off, so the whole of that pipework will have to be replaced,” she added.

It also damaged another smaller pipe which does not shut off, leading to the water reaching to knee height in the main pump room.

As a result the water seeped into equipment such as the main compressor and fully submerged the sump pumps.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The burst mains pipe in the plant roomThe burst mains pipe in the plant room

A forensic engineer has also come in to assess the situation, through the Council’s general insurance, and the authority is also in conversation with Yorkshire Water to see if any measures can be put in place to prevent this kind of incident in the future.

While it is out of action, general maintenance is taking place on the bed of the Mirror Pool, with seals being replaced and grouting being repaired.

Councillor John Pennington, leader of the Conservative group on Bradford Council, urged the Council to get the Mirror Pool back up and running as soon as possible.

He said that the Mirror Pool was a “huge asset to our local economy” and that “it attracts almost more people than Blackpool front”.

The public deserve more information as to what and why things went wrong, is there insurance, a warranty or a maintenance contract and finally, when can we expect to see some activity?
- Councillor John Pennington

“School parties through to senior citizens all arrive with picnics in backpacks only to sit disappointed in isolation, without even an apology, reason or forward plan showing on the big screen to keep them informed, they will not hurry back,” he said.

“The public deserve more information as to what and why things went wrong, is there insurance, a warranty or a maintenance contract and finally, when can we expect to see some activity?”

The award-winning Mirror Pool contains the highest fountain in any British city, capable of shooting water up to 30 metres into the air.

It was part of the £24.6m re-development of the area to create an urban park in the heart of the city.