Southern Water reported that water supply had returned to all customers affected by an incident at its Testwood Water Supply Works, with all properties in Hampshire seeing their water return at 2am on 20 December1. The company said it had closed its bottled water stations and stopped bottled water deliveries, and stood down its tankering operation, by its 2:30pm update that day1.
The incident affected customers in parts of Southampton, Eastleigh, Romsey and the New Forest, with the postcodes SO15, SO16, SO40, SO42, SO43, SO45, SO50, SO51, SO52 and SO53 listed as affected1. Southern Water said the cause was a technical fault at Testwood Water Supply Works which meant water was not leaving the site1. Its updates record the restoration in stages: 31,000 properties back in supply, 53% of the total number of homes that lost supply, at 7pm on 19 December, and 38,800 properties, 67%, by 8pm that evening1. The company said its teams fixed the problem overnight and restarted the site, then refilled the reservoir gradually to avoid bursts1.
Southern Water said it had 23 tankers pumping water directly into its network and essential services, including University Hospital Southampton, seven of them dedicated to the hospital1. It opened bottled water stations during the incident, including sites at Staplewood Football Development Centre in Marchwood, Places Leisure Centre on Passfield Avenue in Eastleigh, ASDA on Maynard Road in Totton and Calshot Road Car Park in Calshot1. The company said it delivered 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 24 hours1. It said a third contractor was brought in to speed up deliveries to households on the register, some of whom had waited much longer than they should have1.
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."
Southern Water advised customers to make sure taps were turned off to avoid flooding while waiting for supply to return1. On what to expect as water returns, it said discoloured water is normal after an interruption and usually temporary, that cloudy white water is likely trapped air and may clear if left in a glass for a few minutes, and that a chlorine smell or taste is normal and comes from chlorine residual1. It said brown or black water should clear by running the tap for a few minutes, and if not, to turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes and try again1. It said air locks can occur after the network has been emptied and that running taps for a short while can help, and that customers should contact the company on 0330 303 0368 if running taps does not resolve it1. Customers needing to be added to the Priority Services Register were asked to call the same number1.
Why it matters for households
The incident affected households across ten postcode areas of Hampshire, and Southern Water's updates show that restoration happened in stages over 19 and 20 December rather than all at once, so some homes were without supply for longer than others1. The company's account also records that some vulnerable customers on its Priority Services Register waited longer than they should have for bottled water deliveries, and that it has said it will review the incident1. For households, the practical points reported by the company concern what happens as supply returns: temporary discolouration, cloudiness and chlorine taste, air locks in pipes, and the risk of flooding from taps left open1. The company's guidance on how long restoration takes and its incident response process set out how these events are normally handled, and households can read about bottled water stations, alternative supplies such as tankers and bowsers and bottled water deliveries for vulnerable customers. A supply interruption checklist and guidance on storing bottled water cover preparation, and the water hub collects the site's water guidance.
What happens next
Southern Water said it would review the incident carefully and learn the lessons to improve its processes, in the statement from its Managing Director for Water1. No date for that review has been reported1.
Sources (1)
- Supply issue - Southampton and Eastleigh, southernwater.co.uk
When Supply Is Restored
Supply Interruption Checklist
Water Company Incident Response
