Thames Water have announced that all customers affected by the burst water pipe in Wimbledon now have their water back after 1,500 homes, schools and shops were cut off yesterday. 

Water up to half a metre in depth flooded Kingston Road just after 11am on Sunday, July 3, as the force of the bursting pipe caused a large hole to appear in the middle of the road.

From yesterday: UPDATED: Pictures and video as hundreds of homes in SW17, SW19, SW20, KT6, KT3 and CR4 without water after burst water main in Kingston Road

Wimbledon Times:

Photo: London Fire Brigade

In a statement released at 2.15pm this afternoon, a spokeswoman for Thames Water said: "All our customers affected by the burst pipe on Kingston Road now have their water back, although some at slightly lower pressure than normal. 

"We expect supplies to be back to normal later this afternoon but in the meantime bottled water is available on Kingston Road at the junction with Southey Road and at the Priory Retail Park. 

Wimbledon Times:

Photo: Thames Water

"Kingston Road will remain closed between Hartfield Road and Merton Road while we repair the pipe and we hope to reopen the road by the end of this week. 

"We're sorry for any disruption our work will cause."

Thames Water estimates that around 1,500 premises in Wimbledon, Tooting, Colliers Wood and Mitcham were without running water yesterday, with around 400 still affected this morning. Many homes have also been without power.

However, Thames Water are reassuring residents that cold water should begin running again by this afternoon as they continue to divert water around the network.

For Wendy Emery, a heavily pregnant mother of two young children who lives in Hawkes Road, Mitcham, the water cannot come back soon enough.

Ms Emery said: “We had no warning, we had no idea what was happening. The kids used the toilet but it wouldn’t flush, and I had to clean it out myself.

“I can’t walk very far, so we’re having to drive to my sister-in-law’s in Phipps Bridge every time one of us needs the toilet. I had to take my kids there last night to have a bath before bed. They had to go to school today after washing their faces in cold bottled water. They couldn’t even have a proper wash.

Wimbledon Times:

Photo: Joanna Cater

“It’s not fair on the kids and it’s not fair on me, but I just feel really sorry for elderly people and those who can’t leave their houses to get water.”

An update posted on Thames Water’s website shortly after 12pm today said: “We’re sorry to customers who are experiencing low pressure or no water.

“This is due to a large burst water main on Kingston Road SW19.

“Our work to re-route water around our network of pipes means the majority of customers now have water back, and for those whose supplies are still affected, we’re hoping you’ll see an improvement in your water pressure this afternoon.”

Yesterday, four fire engines and 21 firefighters were called to fight the flood waters in Kingston Road, which was at its worst between Southey Road and Merton High Street.

Wimbledon Times:

Photo: Oli Lyons

Station Manager Chris Brown said: “Initially the road had flooded to a depth of about half a metre, but crews worked hard to pump away water throughout the afternoon and early intervention by the Brigade helped to limit any damage.

“Firefighters also sandbagged properties to protect them and checked on local residents to see if they needed any help.”

Singlegate Primary School in South Gardens, Colliers Wood, is closed today as they have no running water, while the YMCA’s John Innes Youth Centre in Kingston Road has remained open despite flooding to their boiler room.

A spokeswoman for YMCA London South West confirmed the centre would be open as normal today, and added that local residents without water had been using the showers at their Broadway base.

Bottled water is no longer available near to the fire station on Kingston Road. It can now be collectected on Kingston Road near the junction with Southey Road and at Priory Retail Park in Colliers Wood High Street.

Cabinet member for children's services and councillor for Abbey Ward, Katy Neep, said: "I'm not confident that Kingston Road will be open by the end of this week. I'm waiting for confirmation from Thames Water but I would expect the repairs to go into next week. 

"We have been chasing Thames Water to make sure they get bottled water and deliver it to areas that need it the most, not just Kingston Road."

She added that Merton Council's community support service MASCOT has been liasing with Thames Water and passed on details of vulnerable people around the borough. 

Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh has also insisted that more water should be available for those outside of Wimbledon.

Wimbledon Times:

Photo: London Fire Brigade

Ms McDonagh said: “It’s good they are giving water at the fire station, but that’s not much help for people who are in Mitcham and Morden, or Tooting, and haven’t had water since yesterday.

“I think Thames Water’s problem is that it has a Victorian water system. When you have unstable weather patterns, like we have done, then water mains burst. This is really about the fact that more investment is needed in our water systems.”

MP for Tooting, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, has urged her constituents to check on their elderly or vulnerable neighbours who may have been without water.

Merton Council say they are working closely with Thames Water, the emergency services and UK Power Networks to resolve the situation, while Wandsworth Council have called on Thames Water to do “everything it can” to restore water to Tooting.

Have you been affected by the flooding? Email your stories and your pictures to pippa.allen@london.newsquest.co.uk

Anyone with concerns about vulnerable people in Merton should contact MASCOT on 020 8274 5940