Dozens of homes were damaged and thousands were left without water after a burst pipe flooded a street in south-east London.
Londoners woke up to find their water supply had run dry as a result of the burst main in South Bermondsey.
Thames Water confirmed that 27 homes were flooded, with residents having to be evacuated from the area.
Ilderton Road was closed at around 4.15am on Tuesday morning, leaving the street resembling a canal.
Firefighters were called to help support Thames Water with the flooding and the London Fire Brigade confirmed around 27 people from the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution.
In an update this afternoon, Thames Water said most of the households in the affected area had seen their water supply restored.
A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Our teams are continuing repair work on the burst main on Ilderton Road, SE16. We’ve made good progress so far, but before we can safely begin excavation, we need to carry out ground surveys to ensure the area is stable and safe for our crews. We’ll allow access to as much of the area as possible when it is safe to do so.
“We also need to operate a valve located on the South Circular. To do this safely, we’ll be putting traffic management in place shortly. We understand this is a busy route and are very sorry for any disruption this may cause to your journey.
“We’re also continuing to support residents affected by flooding in the area. If you need assistance or have any questions, our teams are available on Verney Road, SE16.
“Thank you for your continued patience and understanding while we work to get things back to normal.”
Southwark Council previously warned residents there had been “significant flooding” after the major water pipe burst.
The council said it was helping people who had been forced to leave their homes because of the flooding and it had set up a rest centre.
Millwall FC also warned that people were unable to access its stadium, The Den, on Tuesday morning due to the flooding. The club said on social media that its ticket office and Lions Store were both forced to close.
Ilderton Primary School, near the burst pipe, was also forced to close as a result of the flooding.
Thames Water told customers that the issue meant some may have no water, or tap water may not be flowing properly.
In total, 12 postcodes across south London were affected by the issue, stretching from Rotherhithe to Brixton.
The affected postcodes are SE1, SE5, SE8, SE10, SE11, SE14, SE15, SE16, SE17, SW4, SW8 and SW9.
Galleywall Road was also blocked due to a burst water main, according to travel data site Inrix.
Meanwhile, Ilderton Road was shut in both directions from Penarth Street to Surrey Canal Road.
Nicola Gastaldi, who lives near the burst water pipe, described how he was left trapped with soap on his hands when his water stopped flowing in the middle of the night.
The Riverdy Road resident told the Standard: “I have been up since 4.30am and there was no water pressure at all. Now we have got it, but there is very low pressure.
“I had soap on my hands, [I was] stuck while I was washing my hands before going back to bed. I wondered what I could do to wash it away. Orange Juice, milk, a can of Guinness?
“By 7.30am we had very low-pressure water so we could wash ourselves and have breakfast with the kids.
“I think this is a good reminder of how lucky and privileged we are to have flowing water every time we need it.”
In an earlier update on its website, Thames Water said it is working to stop the flow of water from the burst pipe before trying to fix the damaged section.
It explained it was using tankers to add water back into its pipes so that customers could turn on their taps again as soon as possible.
Thank you everyone who has been in touch about the Ilderton Road pipe burst this morning.@thameswater are working on this and there is a respite centre in place at Links Community Centre, 353 Rotherhithe New Road SE16 3HF. pic.twitter.com/CDlXqYTDWJ
— Richard Livingstone (@Livingstone_RJ) July 15, 2025
Not my video. Got it from a WhatsApp group pic.twitter.com/vG4vDdZLVf
— gasta (@gastanuke) July 15, 2025
The incident comes as Thames Water revealed it slumped to a £1.65 billion annual loss and saw its debt mountain balloon to £16.79 billion on Tuesday morning.
The troubled water company has faced regular complaints about the quality of its service and sewage spillages.
Thames Water also had to apologise to customers on Monday when a large sinkhole appeared in Clapham.
A burst pipe caused Clapham Park Road to flood, turning a section of the street into a stream.
Thames Water brought the flow of water under control shortly before midday on Monday.
The water company said it has received around 1,300 calls following the incident on Ilderton Road.
A Thames Water spokesperson previously said “We are sorry to our customers in SE16 and the surrounding areas who have been affected by a burst water main in Ilderton Road. We have moved water around our network and customers should start to see an increase in their water pressure.
“Our specialist teams have now isolated the flow of water, so that repairs can begin. Traffic management will be in place at the repair site to ensure the work is carried out safely and efficiently.
“We have arranged for our Customer Representatives to be on site to support those impacted by flooding, and we will continue to monitor the situation to provide any additional assistance that may be needed.
“We understand the disruption this incident has caused and would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this time.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Firefighters responded to reports of flooding caused by a burst water pipe on Ilderton Road, Bermondsey.
“Crews evacuated around 27 people from the immediate area as a precaution and worked to support Thames Water as they responded to the burst pipe.
“The Brigade was first called about the incident at 0413, and crews from New Cross, Deptford, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations were sent to the scene. Firefighters remained on scene until 0751, when the scene was left with Thames Water.”
