Water Supply Largely Restored After Extensive Disruption

The majority of properties have had their water supply reinstated subsequent to a malfunction at a treatment facility that affected thousands of residences in Epsom and sections of south London. The issue at SES Water’s Cheam treatment works disrupted the water provision for an estimated 4,000 households on Monday evening. While some services began normalizing by Tuesday morning, SES Water confirmed by approximately 15:00 GMT on Thursday that most supplies had been restored. SES Water further stated: “Some customers in high rise buildings in the Sutton area may experience lower than usual water pressure and we are working hard to restore this.” With the gradual restoration of supplies, SES Water announced its intention to implement a phased closure of bottled water distribution points. By Thursday morning, the station located at Bourne Hall in Ewell had ceased operations, however, the facilities at Epsom’s Upper High Street car park, Westcroft Leisure Centre in Carshalton, Cheam Library, and St Paul’s Church in Cheam continued to operate. SES Water advised: “Storage levels remain low, and we ask customers to use water carefully to help preserve the network’s capacity.” The utility company clarified that the malfunction on Monday necessitated the activation of an alternative supply strategy to lessen disruptions. Nevertheless, elevated demand prevented reserve levels from sustaining a regular supply. Consumers have been informed that they might observe an alteration in their water’s appearance. SES Water also stated: “A reminder that when your water returns it may be cloudy, white, or discoloured and you may notice a change in smell. “Please be assured that in most cases, this can be cleared by running the cold kitchen tap.” For further updates, follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.