Surrey was thrown into chaos today due to the Thames Water supply crisis. This resulted in the closure of schools and concerns for residents in care homes. Locals were seen queuing for bottled water in car park stations.
Thames Water issued an apology for the problems in areas such as Guildford and Godalming. They attributed the issues to Storm Ciaran, which caused disruptions at the Shalford water treatment works.
Yesterday, Surrey County Council (SCC) declared a major incident as their staff dealt with numerous reports of no water or low pressure. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed that Thames Water had informed him that at least 13,500 homes had been affected.
Several schools in the affected areas, including Milford School, Rodborough School, Tenderlinks Day Nursery, and Moss Lane School, had to close. A care home manager expressed their concern about the lack of water, stating that they did not have enough to meet the needs of the residents.
Waverley Borough Council leader Paul Follows estimated that up to 12,000 people could still be affected. He blamed Thames Water for the lack of communication and criticized the state of water infrastructure in the country.
Follows also expressed his disappointment with the county for not declaring a major incident earlier. He emphasized the need for better communication from Thames Water regarding the problem and its resolution.
The article includes images of long queues forming in car parks for bottled water in Godalming, Surrey. These images highlight the impact of the water supply crisis on the local residents.Locals in Surrey were seen carrying bottled water back to their cars after Storm Ciaran caused problems at a treatment plant. The water shortage is still affecting several postcodes today, leading residents to put bottled water in their cars. Borough Council leader Paul Follows criticized the firm for a lack of communication.Surrey County Council (SCC) declared a major incident on Sunday due to reports of no water or low pressure. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stated that Thames Water had informed him that at least 13,500 homes were affected. David Bird, retail director for Thames Water, acknowledged that the level of service provided to customers was not satisfactory, but attributed the specific incident in Guildford to one of the largest storms in a decade.
Several schools in the area have been forced to close, including Milford School, Rodborough School, Tenderlinks Day Nursery, Moss Lane School, Godalming Junior School, St Edmund’s Primary School, Broadwater School, St Hilary’s School, Loseley Fields, St Mark and All Saints, Farncombe School, Charterhouse School, Priors Field, and Busbridge School.Thames Water is focused on supporting all of its customers during the water shortage in Guildford. The company has provided nearly half a million litres of bottled water to those affected. Despite the challenges posed by the water network in Guildford, Thames Water is seeing improvements and hopes to restore supply to customers in the near future.
MP Jeremy Hunt, who represents the affected areas, expressed his concern about the situation and reached out to a Thames Water executive. After speaking with Alastair Cochran, Mr. Hunt shared on social media that the company is working on resetting and reprogramming the control system. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also tweeted that Thames Water is tankering water to support hospitals and keep bottled water stations open.
Thames Water confirmed that the Shalford water treatment works is now back online after issues caused by Storm Ciaran. The company is currently refilling underground reservoirs and expects supply to return within the next 24 hours. Tankers are stationed in the area to pump water into the local supply network, and two bottled water stations have been reopened in Godalming and Guildford.
To address the frustration of residents, Thames Water is investing in building a new 9km water transfer pipeline to connect part of the Guildford area to an alternative water source. Construction is scheduled to begin early next year. However, families affected by the water shortage expressed their anger online, criticizing the lack of planning and investment in resilience by Thames Water.
Thames Water apologized for the problems in Guildford and Godalming and acknowledged the lack of communication with affected customers. Professor Nigel Wright, an expert in flood risk, emphasized the need for better planning and investment in resilience. Tobias Byfield, an affected customer, also criticized Thames Water for the lack of communication.
The article is accompanied by images of the water shortage in Guildford and Godalming, highlighting the impact of the problem.Chaos has erupted as the Thames Water supply crisis leaves up to 12,000 Brits without water. Long queues of cars have formed as people wait to collect bottled water at collection points. Many Brits have been seen queuing and collecting bottled water today. Vast queues have formed for bottled water in the Crown Court Car park in Godalming, Surrey. Thousands of bottles can be seen stacked high in the car park as people come to collect water.Thames Water’s poor communication and logistics resulted in Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, not receiving an update on the water supply issue until an hour ago. This lack of communication has led to frustration among customers, with one calling the organization a joke. The affected residents were advised by Surrey County Council to go to water stations at Crown Court in Godalming, but they were met with long queues. Bottled water stations were also set up at Artington Park and Ride in Guildford. After speaking with Thames Water’s interim co-chief executive and chief financial officer, Alastair Cochran, Mr. Hunt shared on social media that the company was working on resetting and reprogramming the control system to restore supply. He also expressed concern about the impact on schools and local businesses, emphasizing the significant impact this situation has on many people.
