UPDATED: A number of properties in Ryde, Ashey and Binstead are without water this lunchtime (Sunday) due to a burst water main on Ashey Road.
Hundreds, if not thousands of homes have lost supply following the burst on Ashey Road to the south of the town. Water is said to be gushing down the hill resulting in some flooding to properties at the bottom of the hill.
Southern Water are aware of the issue and are deploying engineers to the scene.
A spokesperson said:
“Our team is on the way to investigate and make the necessary repairs.
“Sometimes repairs take longer than we’d like, as we need to complete numerous checks and tests.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we thank you for your patience”.
Water supply is not expected to be reconnected until this evening.
UPDATE @ 13:10 – Ashey Road has been closed in both directions between Bettsworth Road and Smallbrook Roundabout due to the severity of the burst, which has seen Police and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service attend the scene.
Pavements on both sides of the road and the carriageway itself have been lifted by the pressure of the water, just weeks after resurfacing by Island Roads.
The road is anticipated to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Engineers have arrived at the incident and are working to establish a plan of action.
An update from Southern Water is expected at 14:00.
UPDATE @ 14:20 – Southern Water say at present they do not have an estimated completion time for the repairs, however bottled water is said to be on its way with transportation and delivery being arranged.
The water, which is expected to be dropped on street corners and other communal places, will be available in around 60 minutes time (15:30). Once a list of locations is available it will be updated on this post.
As well as loss of supply to households, many others are experiencing reduced pressure.
UPDATE @ 16:30 – Bottles of water have been made available at the corner of Bettsworth Road/Ashey Road, where a large number of local residents have already gathered.
Southern Water say vulnerable customers will have water delivered directly and will be given priority at the pick up point over the general population.
Engineers are working to re-route main water supplies in order to return a normal service to customers.
Local shops are reported to have sold out of bottled water, whilst larger shops such as Tesco have now closed.
UPDATE @ 17:20 – Southern Water have confirmed that a 10-inch and a 12-inch water main have burst and that engineers are continuing to work to restore supplies.
Queues at the only water point in Ryde have grown, with many residents unhappy with the amount of water being made available.
UPDATE @ 19:30 – Southern Water are bringing emergency water supplies from the mainland and are introducing more collection points to ensure that all residents who require water are able to access it.
Some supplies have returned to the town, but many many households remain without water supply tonight after more than 7 hours.
A spokesperson for Southern Water has said:
“We working to make sure everyone who needs bottled water can get it however it is taking time due to the number of affected customers.
“We understand some customers have been unable to obtain water from the designated pick up point and we are making arrangements for additional supplies. We are listening to your feedback around the availability issues and are working to resolve these as soon as possible”.
Aspire in Dover Street, Ryde – a local charity – is said to be open for water, tea and coffee for those in need.
UPDATE @ 21:00 – Southern Water have rezoned the water to most househodls this evening, much to the relief of local residents. It comes more than 9 hours after supplies were lost.
As supplies fully restore residents may experience some discolouration to their water, rest assured this is perfectly safe to use.
Drinking water can sometimes appear ‘milky’ or ‘cloudy’ when first drawn from the tap. This is usually caused by air and generally disappears after a short time. If your water is white, milky or cloudy fill a glass with water and leave to stand for a few minutes. If the cloudiness clears from the bottom of the glass upwards, this shows the cloudy appearance has been caused by air. The tiny air bubbles will rise to the surface and the cloudy appearance will disappear. If the water does not clear in this way please contact us.
You may find that your tap water looks slightly brown. This is because some water mains are made of iron and over time rusty deposits can settle in the pipes. This can happen for a number of reasons, for example; a burst on the water main; bringing a water main back into use after repairs; having to move water from one area to another to cope with changes in demand; or the fire service taking a lot of water to deal with an emergency.
Repair work is well underway at Ashey Road, however it is currently unknown when the road is likely to reopen to traffic.
UPDATE @ 21:20 – Southern Water say supplies should be restored to the majority of customers by 23:00 tonight.
A spokesperson has said:
“We estimate that water supply will be restored for the majority of our customers in Ryde by 23:00 tonight (Sunday 21st August). In the meantime we will continue to deliver water to vulnerable customers directly.
“Water bottles continue to be available at Ashey road for pick – up and more is being made available at Osborne road.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
UPDATE @ 22:30 – A Southern Water spokesperson has confirmed:
“The main has been repaired and we are refilling the network. Customers water supply should be restored but the pressure may be low to start with as it takes a small amount of time to re – pressurise the system.”
More to follow
