ELABORATE Victorian maps of the region's 63,500 miles of underground water and sewer pipe network have finally been replaced with a hi-tech electronic plan.

Around 28,000 traditional hand drawings on paper and linen - some dating back to the turn of the 19th Century - have been locked away in the archives of Severn Trent.

"Some of the oldest maps are almost works of art in their own right," said the water company's head of networks, Martin Kane.

"When you're managing a network of pipes which could circle the world a couple of times you need something a bit more practical."

Mr Kane said some of the old maps - which cover an area including Worcestershire - had to be updated by hand and some of them were not even updated from 30 or 40 years ago.

"Now, changes we make can be recorded straight onto the new computer-based plans," he added. "Our workers were relying on old, out-of-date plans, which couldn't be taken away from the office, to make emergency repairs."

The new electronic system means up-to-date and portable plans, which enable workers to find the root of a problem quickly and efficiently.

They are based on the Geographic Information System, which fixes objects to a co-ordinate and directly relates to the UK's Ordinance Survey.

"Maps are available 24-hours-a-day to workers on the ground," said Mr Kane.

"We're now responding 365 days-a-year with workers guided by hi-tech operations centres in Wolverhampton and Leicester. "We can be much more effective and keep bills down to the present figure of around 56p a day."

The new plans map 28,875miles of water mains and more than 33,125 miles of sewers, with thousands of valves, hydrants, manholes and other associated features.

"But a special place was put aside for some of the oldest maps as they're a link to our roots which we don't want to relinquish," said Mr Kane.