Southern Water says that it aims for water supplies to be restored to 10,000 properties overnight – but that emergency bottled water stations will reopen in the morning as a precaution.
Almost 12 hours have now passed since supplies were lost to homes and businesses in the Shanklin, Rookley, Apse Heath and Wroxall areas as a result of a burst water main near Newport, as first reported by Island Echo.
The burst – one of the biggest seen on the Island – has led to Cooks Castle Reservoir near Wroxall running dry.
In a fresh update, Southern Water says engineers have almost completed excavation around the burst main in a field in Blackwater and will continue with the repair overnight.
Water is said to have been taken from other parts of the network to enable a recharge, which is being done slowly. It is therefore anticipated that all affected properties will see their water return overnight.
Over the past couple of hours bottled water stations have been set up at both Amazon World in Newchurch and Morrisons Car Park at Lake. Each person in a household receives 1 case.
These remain open until 23:00 tonight and, as a precaution, will reopen tomorrow morning at 08:00.
Bottled water has also been delivered throughout the day to customers on the Priority Services Register. If you are a vulnerable customer or require water for a medical condition, call 0330 303 0368.
Southern Water is not expected to provide any further updates until 09:00 tomorrow.
Great to see Southern water doing their bit for the
climate (all those PLASTIC bottles).
Don’t tell Ed. It will turn him off his
Bacon Sandwiches.
Lol
Me and my wife are both listed as a vulnerable customers and we have not seen a single bottle. I’m so thirsty that I am butchering a melon at 11pm to get some fluid.