Key facts
- A burst water main in southern England caused a significant water outage.
- The pipe was reportedly leaking 750 liters of water per second.
- Approximately 6,000 properties across five south London boroughs and two Surrey boroughs were affected.
- Several schools and colleges, including Esher College and Kingston Grammar School, were forced to close.
- Thames Water is rerouting water and delivering to vulnerable customers while repairs are underway.
- Some reports suggest a contractor struck the pipe with a digger, causing a 4ft rupture.
Schools, businesses, and homes across seven boroughs in England experienced a significant water outage on Monday due to a burst water main. Thames Water reported that the pipe was leaking approximately 750 liters of water per second, affecting around 6,000 properties in south London and Surrey. The incident forced numerous educational institutions, including Esher College and Kingston Grammar School, to close their doors.
Thames Water stated that its specialist team is on-site working to stop the flooding and repair the broken pipe. The company is rerouting water to minimize the impact on customers and is delivering water to registered vulnerable customers, with plans to open bottled water stations. Some reports suggest the rupture, measuring 4ft, may have been caused by a contractor striking the pipe with a digger.
Monica Harding, the MP for Esher and Walton, criticized the situation as unacceptable and called for an urgent response, suggesting that underinvestment in infrastructure and poor regulation may be contributing factors. Helen Ryder, a local business owner, expressed concern for her staff and inventory. Thames Water has since reported that the number of affected properties has been reduced and engineers are making progress on repairs, though it is expected to take some time to complete.