Burst water main causes loss of supply and flooding in Crawley

Southern Water said it was responding to a burst water main in Crawley on 27 September 2025 that affected water supplies for some customers and caused flooding on Southgate Avenue, Crawley Avenue and part of the A23, which were closed while emergency services and its teams managed the situation¹.

The company listed Woolborough Road, Holmcroft, Southgate, Tilgate and Furnace Green as areas where customers might experience a loss of supply or low pressure, and gave the postcodes RH10 1, RH10 5, RH10 6, RH10 8 and RH11 9 as those affected by possible loss of supply¹. In its 07:00 update it said it was arranging bottled water deliveries for some customers on its Priority Services Register, with the first deliveries expected from 8:00am, prioritising the most vulnerable¹.

By 19:00 Southern Water said most customers had had their supply restored through rezoning of its network and support from tankers, and that the damaged section of pipe had been removed and replacement pipework installed. It said it was starting to recharge the network gradually to make sure the repair held¹. A bottled water station at The Hawth Theatre, Hawth Ave, Crawley RH10 6YZ opened from 5.30pm, and at 20:35 the company said it would stay open until 10pm¹.

Southern Water said customers whose water was returning might see intermittent supply or low pressure for a little while as the network returned to normal. It said discoloured water is normal after a supply interruption and usually temporary, that cloudy white water is likely to be trapped air, and that a chlorine smell or taste is normal and comes from chlorine residual. Where water has a brown or black colour, it said to run the tap for a few minutes, and if that does not work to turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes and try again. It said it is fine to use water as normal once it runs clear, and that running taps for a short while can help clear air locks¹.

Why it matters for households

Households in the five named areas and postcodes lost supply or pressure from the morning of 27 September, and the company said supply should be returning, with intermittent supply or low pressure possible for a little while longer¹. The flooding closed Southgate Avenue, Crawley Avenue and part of the A23, affecting local road travel¹. Southern Water's published guidance covers what households may see as water returns, including discolouration, cloudiness and a chlorine taste, and it states that water is fine to use as normal once it runs clear¹. Households can report a burst pipe or loss of supply using the guide on how to report no water or a burst pipe, and the supply interruption checklist sets out what to keep ready; both sit within the site's water section.

What happens next

Southern Water said it would continue to post updates on its loss of supply page as work progressed, and that supply should return soon with possible intermittent supply or low pressure in the meantime¹. No further dated steps have been reported.