Southern Water workers have fixed a burst at Rumfields water tower but say it may take ‘some time’ before they get water flowing again.
Properties in Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate and Manston have been without water supply since the early hours of yesterday (December 19) with some reporting a loss the previous evening.
Bottled water stations were opened at Dane Court school and Asda Westwood yesterday and Dane Court is open again this morning.
Southern Water say: “Our teams worked through the night to fix the burst water main so that we can return supply to our customers. The repair is now complete, however it’s going to take time to get water flowing throughout the network and supply returns.
“Deliveries to our vulnerable customers on our Priority Services Register have recommenced.
“Our bottled water station at Dane Court Grammar School reopened at 8am. We’re not able to open the bottled water site at ASDA Broadstairs, however we’re looking for an alternative location nearby and will update as soon as we can.
“Please allow extra time when making any journeys as there is likely to be heavy congestion.”
An email sent to one customer says it could take up to 24 hours to get water flowing to customers at the end of the network.
A second bottled water station is open at St George’s School.
UPDATES
10am: Southern Water says: “We are sorry for the distress and inconvenience caused to our customers by the disruption to water supplies in Thanet.
“Our teams worked through the night and have fixed the burst water main at Rumfields, Broadstairs. Although the repair is now complete, the network is complex and it will take time to get water flowing throughout and supply to fully return.
“We have two bottled water stations open at Dane Court Grammar School and St George’s C of E Foundation School, both in Broadstairs. There is heavy traffic in the area of the schools so please be patient.
“We will be updating our customers about compensation payments in the coming days. Payments, which will be credited directly to customer accounts, will be based on the Ofwat Guaranteed Standards Scheme, a scheme that we support.
“We would like to thank our customers and the communities affected by this incident for their patience and understanding during this time.”
1pm: Southern Water says: “With the burst fixed, we are beginning to see pressure return and water start to flow. This will still take a number of hours, and water will return gradually depending on where you are on our network. We need to work carefully so that we don’t suffer further bursts as the water pressure is increased. This means that for some customers it could be a few hours before they get their water supply as the network is over 100km km long in this area.
“Bottled water stations will remain open today until 10pm at Dane Court Grammar School, CT10 2RT and St George’s School, CT10 2LH, and deliveries to our vulnerable customers on the Priority Services Register will continue.
“As water starts to return, you may still have low pressure – this is normal and is only temporary. You can also expect to see bubbles and discolouration. More information about what you can expect is available here.”
