Burst Water Main Causes Flooding on Sunderland Street

A burst water main has caused flooding on a residential street. Chester Road in Sunderland is currently closed as engineers work to repair the leak located at the Western Hill junction. Bakhtiar Ali, proprietor of the Sultan Halal Superstore, stated that while the street had experienced previous flooding incidents, the water on Tuesday evening came within a few centimetres of inundating his premises. According to Northumbrian Water, their crews were engaged in overnight operations to “isolate and repair the burst.” Mr. Ali recounted that upon attempting to exit his shop on Tuesday, he found it necessary to pull his jeans up to his knees. He further commented, “It happens every six months.” He added, “We have a drain just outside the shop but it has been blocked for five years.” An online video depicted Chester Road submerged in water, with the inundation extending to adjacent residences. Although the water level has since decreased, Northumbrian Water confirmed that its teams remain on site addressing the pipe repair. A company spokesperson stated, “There has been no impact on our water supply to our customers in the area and we are aiming to have the repair completed today.” The spokesperson also advised, “The road junction is closed temporarily to allow the repairs to be carried out quickly and safely. Please find an alternative route.” Northern Powergrid additionally verified that the flooding had resulted in an underground cable fault, causing power outages for 110 customers. The company announced, “Our teams have now permanently repaired the fault, and all customers are now back on supply.”