Some households in Newport are still without water supply this morning (Monday) more than 24 hours after a burst main was discovered on Hunnyhill.
Engineers are currently working to repair a 9-inch water main that went during the early hours of Sunday morning, as previously reported by Island Echo. They are also working to repair a 4-inch main next to it that was found to be damaged.
Although the repairs are largely completed, Southern Water says that there is a water quality testing and assurance process to go through before supply can be restored to all properties.
Those living on the right hand side of Hunnyhill are the only households still without supply, it has been confirmed. They are fed directly off the broken pipe.
Throughout last week tankers were being utilised to transfer water from standpipes on Riverway in Newport and from a layby at Whiteley Bank, to a water station at Cowleaze Hill in Shanklin. The official word from Southern Water is that the tankers were being used to keep the pressure up after ‘heavy use’ over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
No further explanation has been given and the situation seems somewhat odd given that this isn’t a regular occurrence every bank holiday weekend…
Island Echo has asked Southern Water whether the removal of large amounts of water from the system at Riverway has in any way led to the burst main at nearby Hunnyhill, but a response to this question has not been given.
Just before Good Friday, emergency meetings were held over fears for the supply of water following a large burst in Cowes. Island Echo was alerted to the potential for water stations being set up across the Island, but thankfully the situation didn’t develop into a wider scale incident.
Hunnyhill has been closed to all traffic in both directions with access to properties from the top end.
