A significant water supply disruption occurred on Sunday as thousands of residents in areas like Guildford and Godalming, Surrey, were left without water following issues at the Shalford water treatment works. This disruption was attributed to the aftermath of Storm Ciaran, which created problems at the treatment facility.
Thames Water issued an apology, expressing deep regret for the ongoing water supply problems faced by residents. Reports of no water or low water pressure were widespread in the affected areas. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed that Thames Water had informed him that as of 2:50 pm, at least 13,500 homes had experienced water supply problems, and an additional 6,500 were expected to lose their water supply shortly.
Mr. Hunt, the Member of Parliament for South West Surrey, which encompasses affected areas like Godalming, expressed serious concerns about the situation. He pledged to discuss the matter with a Thames Water executive.
Surrey County Council (SCC) recommended that affected residents visit water stations at Crown Court in Godalming, but they encountered long queues. In response to the crisis, bottled water stations were established at Artington Park and Ride in Guildford.
After a conversation with Alastair Cochran, Thames Water’s interim co-chief executive and chief financial officer, Mr. Hunt posted a message on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that the company was “resetting and reprogramming” the control system. He further noted that if these efforts were successful, they would restore the water supply to affected customers. Mr. Hunt also highlighted the impact on schools and local businesses, including pubs, that had lost trade due to the water supply disruption.
In a subsequent tweet, the Chancellor revealed that Thames Water was “tankering water to ensure that they can support hospitals and bottled water stations remain open.” By Sunday evening, Mr. Hunt shared that water authorities were working to bring the Shalford treatment works back online, as they had identified the root cause of the problem. He expressed hope that the alarms would not trigger once the water supply was restored.
Thames Water expressed its deep regret for the ongoing water supply issues and reassured residents that its engineers were working diligently to resolve the situation. They also mentioned the use of tankers to pump water into the supply network and requested patience from the affected residents. The disruption caused by Storm Ciaran highlighted the vulnerability of water supply infrastructure during extreme weather events and the challenges faced in ensuring uninterrupted services.
