Southern Water reported on Thursday 19 December 2024 that a technical fault at Testwood Water Supply Works meant water was not leaving the site, leaving customers in parts of Southampton, Eastleigh, Romsey and the New Forest with either low pressure or loss of water supply1. The company said the postcodes affected were SO15, SO16, SO40, SO42, SO43, SO45, SO50, SO51, SO52 and SO531.
"We currently have a technical fault at Testwood Water Supply Works which means water is not leaving the site."
By 7am on Thursday 19 December, Southern Water said teams had fixed the problem overnight and restarted the site, and that it was refilling the reservoir gradually to avoid bursts1. Restoration figures were issued through the day: at 7pm on Thursday 19 December, 31,000 properties had supplies return, which the company said was 53% of the total number of homes that lost supply1. By 8pm that figure was 38,800 properties, or 67%1. At 7am on Friday 20 December, Southern Water said that from 2am all customers in the affected areas of Hampshire had their water supply back with full pressure, and at 10am it said all properties in Hampshire saw their water return at 2am that morning with no further issues since1.
While supply was out, Southern Water ran bottled water stations and deliveries. Three stations opened at 8am on Thursday 19 December at Staplewood Football Development Centre in Marchwood, Places Leisure Centre on Passfield Avenue in Eastleigh, and ASDA on Maynard Road in Totton; a fourth opened later at Calshot Road Car Park in Calshot1. The company said it had 23 tankers pumping water directly into its network and essential services, including University Hospital Southampton, with seven of them dedicated to the hospital1. It said it was delivering bottled water into the night to more than 12,000 customers on its Priority Services Register, and that the register list had more than tripled in the last 24 hours1. Customers could be added to the register by calling 0330 303 03681.
On the return of supply, Southern Water advised that taps should be turned off to avoid flooding, and that discoloured water, cloudy white water, a chlorine smell or taste, and brown or black water are normal after an interruption and usually temporary1. It advised running the tap for a few minutes if water is brown or black, turning it off and waiting 20 minutes before trying again if that does not work, and leaving cloudy water in a glass for a few minutes to see if it clears1. It said air locks can occur after the network has been emptied and that running taps for a short while can help bring water through, and that customers should contact the company on 0330 303 0368 if running taps does not resolve it1.
Tim McMahon, Managing Director for Water at Southern Water, said:
"We are sorry for the disruption caused to customers over the last two days, and would like to thank them for their patience as we worked to restore supply. We also apologise to those customers on the Priority Services Register who had to wait an unacceptably long time to receive their water deliveries. We'll review this incident carefully and learn the lessons to improve our processes."
Why it matters for households
The incident affected households across ten postcodes in and around Southampton, Eastleigh, Romsey and the New Forest, with supply lost or at low pressure from Thursday 19 December and restored to all affected properties by 2am on Friday 20 December1. Households on the Priority Services Register, which covers customers who need extra help, were due bottled water deliveries; Southern Water acknowledged that some on the register waited longer than they should have, and said it brought in a third contractor to speed up deliveries1. The company advised households whose water had not returned to make sure taps were turned off to avoid flooding, and set out what to expect as supply returns, including temporary discolouration, cloudiness and a chlorine taste or smell1. Households can check whether an outage affects them using the guide on how to check if there is an outage in your area, and the supply interruption checklist sets out what to keep ready; the water hub covers wider planning for supply loss.
What happens next
Southern Water said its plan was for all customers to be back on supply before the weekend1. In its update at 2:30pm on Friday 20 December, the company said that with water supply returned to all customers it had closed its bottled water stations, stopped bottled water deliveries and stood down its tankering operation as it returned to normal service1. It said it would review the incident carefully and learn the lessons to improve its processes1.
Sources (1)
- Supply issue - Southampton and Eastleigh, southernwater.co.uk
Check for an Outage
Supply Interruption Checklist
When Supply Is Restored
