A WightFibre contractor has hit a water main on Coppins Bridge this evening (Tuesday) leaving residents in and around Newport without water.
Residents living in the Newport area started reporting water loss at around 21:15.
It was soon reported that a WightFibre civils contractor stuck the water main with a mini-digger whilst digging in the footway at the bottom of Pyle Street.
Water is gushing down the road onto Coppins Bridge towards the bottom of the High Street.
Southern Water is aware and is responding, there is currently no estimated time for restoration.
If you're wondering why there's no water in Newport #isleofwight this evening, this is the problem! Water main hit on Coppins Bridge! @islandecho @iwcponline @wave105radio @BBC_Hampshire @iwightradio @onthewight #iwnews pic.twitter.com/8SU7CgPGBK
— Andrew Day (@iwpianotuner) October 3, 2023
Article continues below this advertisement
UPDATE @ 23:15 – Southern Water engineers are in the area trying to isolate the supply leading to the bust to prevent further flooding and to allow their contractors – Clancy – to carry out repairs to the ruptured main.
A WightFibre supervisor is on-site talking to the Southern Water operatives and contractors.
Once the water has been isolated, Clancy can commence work to repair the water main overnight.
The pedestrian crossing at the bottom of the High Street is under-water, meaning pedestrians have to cross the road further towards the dual carriageway.
It is currently unclear as to whether businesses and premises have been affected by the flooding, which currently has water up to their kerbside doors.
A spokesperson for Southern Water has said water supplies should return within 3 hours:
“We have a team on-site repairing the burst.
“Your water supply should return to normal within 3 hours.
“You may notice some discolouration or low pressure at first; this is completely normal when there’s been a disruption to the supply and is only temporary.
“Again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.”
At least it was not a gas pipe… which they have done in the past.
Yay, SWMBO says I am excused doing the washing up. Thanks Wightfibre.
Idiots ,why didnt look at the underground services plan. !!!
Oops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s getting like NY
3 cheers for wightfibre….
No doubt they CAT scanned first, and did a full service survey!!!!
NOW they are helping to keep the Medina topped up.
Someone needs a drug test, including management.
Bit like Island Roads staff, most of them are useless
Not surprised I used to live next door to a WightFibre cable installer all he did was smoke cannabis all the time
They say Island Staff, say no more.
Wightfibre are a law to themselves, although I’m sure their service is good, the disruption they have caused putting in the infrastructure is huge… Down our road we have connection boxes taped to telegraph poles using electrical tape with long cables drooping everywhere.
Open Reach have just installed FTTP over the pole where I am. It took them about half a day. No mess, no road closures and one extra pole. Wightfibre dug up the entire road for a week! Just to deliver exactly the same service or worse. Its bonkers to duplicate all these services.
Good I hope cause a major problem to you all that’s affected
That’s an impressing streaming speed.
Water way to annoy customers.
Drivers will have to re-router.
I drove through it last night
It cleaned my under car so bonus it’s puzzling why who ever laid the tarmac didn’t bother to lay it on a slant to the river.
Not surprised at all with their lack of care & work ethics, when installing the lines outside our house they broke the phone line line and tried to blame BT who laid the original line in 1976 !! Priceless
Measure twice cut once even with a digger.
That’s why you should not give a job like that to a islander
I have little trust in wightfibre. They appear to cause unnecessary disruption when they lay their cables and when they are finished, they do not restore the pavements to their previous state. Not very professional
I have seen one of their vehicles breaking the speed limit along
Shanklin Esplanade.
Another reason to put everyone’s water bills up again.
Only in this awful country.
WightFibre: “Because we care”
I like the fact that Southern Water have apologised for something that was not their fault but no sign of an apology from Wightfibre whose cowboy subcontractors did cause the problem!!
Another lot of shoddy workmanship, incompetenst and lacking skills. Shouldn’t be let loose doing work on our island. Cowboys spring to mind!