Thousands of homes in west London were left without water for several hours on Tuesday due to a burst pipe.
From around 7.30pm, homes in the W4 area of Chiswick were without running water. The disruption then spread further, reaching homes in Shepherd’s Bush, White City and Acton.
This meant that tenants were not able to shower, wash their hands, or fill a glass of water for several hours. Thames Water issued a statement to customers explaining that there was a burst pipe in the area.
Almost 90 minutes later, a Thames Water specialist team located the large burst water pipe on Acton Lane. The incident led to varied disruption ranging from low pressure to no water in homes.
There was also flooding on the road on Acton Lane. The water company says it worked through the night to restore supply with some homes in W3 having running water as early as 11pm.
Thames Water said it expected to be able to repair the broken main by Monday or Tuesday next week.
The road is not expected to reopen for around ten days.
By 12.30am on Tuesday, the broken pipe had been isolated and water was rerouted to the entire W3, W4 and W12 areas. Despite water access being restored, some properties continued to experience low water pressure.
Thames Water said: “If you live in a block of flats, you may need to contact your managing agent to come out and reset your internal pumps if you’re still experiencing issues with your supply.
“Often when your water returns it may be discoloured at first (rusty, white or milky in colour), this is normal.”
In an update on Thursday morning, a spokesperson said: “Our teams continue to make good progress with the repair to the damaged water main on Acton Lane.
“We currently expect to complete the repair by Monday or Tuesday next week, although this remains subject to site conditions and may change if we encounter any unforeseen issues during the work.
“Once the repair is complete, we'll begin restoring the road and footpaths. This phase of the work is expected to take several days, and we're aiming to reopen the road by Sunday 26 July.
“Traffic management and road closures will remain in place while repair and reinstatement works are carried out to ensure the safety of our teams and everyone travelling through the area.
“We know these works are causing disruption, and we're sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your continued patience while we complete the repair and safely restore the area as quickly as possible.
“We'll provide our next update on Monday 20 July, or sooner if there are any significant developments.”
