‘There’s no transparency’: Fury after thousands left without running water

Thousands of people have been left without running water or facing significant issues for a second day due to a burst water pipe.

Five thousand homes in  SE19, SE20, SE23, SE26, SE27 and SW16 have been affected by the outages which began last night, causing outrage among residents unable to shower or flush the toilet.

Thames Water said the problem was caused by a burst water main in Alleyn Road, Dulwich, as well as flooding at the Crystal Palace pumping station. It said engineers were working to fix the problem. 

Neil Buchanan, 43, of Glennie Road, West Norwood, was notified of the outages by Thames Water at 6pm.

He said: “My girlfriend asked me to pick up some bottles of water on my way home from work. All the shops were running low already.

“I couldn’t go into work today because I couldn’t shower, brush my teeth or use the bathroom.”

Mr Buchanan said water has now returned to the property at low pressure, but expects further issues throughout the day.

He said: “Some people were saying they had no water from 4pm. It’s crazy that we’re in London and people are going 20 hours without running water.

“Thames Water doesn’t have a great reputation, so you come to expect it.

“They just update their website with the same information every four hours. There’s no transparency or communication.”

Lambeth council has been liaising with schools facing disruption and bottled water is being distributed door-to-door for high-risk residents.

A wider distribution hub for all other residents impacted by supply issues is being set up today, a spokesman said.

Sydenham resident Eugenie Lockett, 49, said her plans for the day had been “ruined” after has had been been left with no running water since the early hours of this morning.

She said: “I filled a jug of water out of habit and that’s now all I have until the taps come on, or a supermarket can deliver supplies.

“I say supermarket because Thames Water either cannot or will not supply water bottles.”

Ms Lockett said she had to cancel a dental appointment scheduled for this afternoon due to the issues.

She said: “I cannot make myself presentable and am too embarrassed to be leaving the house grimy.  It’s awful, it’s ruined my plans for the day. “

Many South Londoners have taken to social media to express their anger.

One wrote on X: “Will you be providing bottled water? We cannot wash or flush loos. This is a long time with no water.”

Another posted: “No updates since 1am on your website and we have had no water for over 14 hours.”

Thames Water apologised for the loss of water supply and pressure in the area.

A spokeswoman said: “Our team has been working overnight to fix the pipe and repair the leak at our pumping station in Crystal Palace, and will continue to work throughout today. Our engineers have been working to get your water supply back while we carry out the fix.

“You may notice your water seems cloudy or has bubbles in it – this is due to air that has got trapped in the pipes while we have been working. We want to reassure you that your water is still safe to drink.”

The news comes after Ofwat confirmed it had launched an investigation into Thames Water after it delayed environmental improvement schemes.

Thames Water said it pledged to carry out 812 schemes as part of a wider national programme between 2020 and 2025, to meet national regulations.

But Ofwat said it was told by Thames Water that it would be unlikely to complete more than 100 of these schemes by the end of March deadline.

(Picture: Ian Dewar / Alamy Stock Photo)