Thames Water apology as west London residents left without water for second day

Airblocks in water pipes are likely to be causing supply issues, Thames Water said
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Miriam Burrell14 September 2023

Thames Water has apologised as some west London residents faced no running water for a second day following a power supply issue.

Temporary water bottle stations were set up for residents, tankers drafted in to help hospitals and more than a dozen schools closed, forcing frustrated parents to take time off work.

Thousands of customers in Twickenham, Putney, Richmond and Hampton were among those affected.

While most residents had their water supply returned to normal by Wednesday evening, some have reported having no water for a second day.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Customers across West London should now have their water back on following problems at our nearby water treatment works yesterday.

“We’re sorry to customers who are still experiencing low pressure or no water. This is likely caused by airlocks in our pipes.

“We have plumbers on standby to support customers and would encourage anyone experiencing supply issues to give us a call on 0800 316 9800.”

Issues at the Ashford water treatment works had a knock-on effect at the Hampton plant - one of Thames Water’s biggest operation sites - affecting a large number of families in the area.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he would find out what caused the power supply issue and “how to make sure it does not happen again”.

In an update on Wednesday, Thames Water said it is making “increased checks” at its water treatment works and “working with power distributors to understand the cause of the problem and reduce the chances of it happening again”.

Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Hina Bokhari said some schools didn’t need to close and said “last minute school closures and hospital disruption like this is not acceptable”.

Thames Water interim CEO Cathryn Ross said: “I do want to offer my apologies on behalf of Thames for the disruption.”

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