An estimated 15,000 properties across five south London boroughs and two Surrey districts experienced water outages and low pressure on Monday morning following a burst water main near Island Barn Reservoir in West Molesey, according to Thames Water.
Boroughs and Postcodes Affected by the West Molesey Burst
The utility company reported that the pipe failure is impacting customers in south-west London and parts of Surrey. The affected London boroughs include Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, and Wandsworth, alongside the Surrey districts of Elmbridge and Spelthorne. Homes in Thames Ditton, Esher and surrounding areas are affected by the outage, Thames Water says.
Thames Water released a list of specific postcodes spanning the outage zone, which includes CR4, KT1, KT10, KT12, KT2, KT3, KT5, KT6, KT7, KT8, SM4, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW19, SW20, TW10, and TW16. According to The Standard, Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler stated he was in contact with Thames Water to determine what steps are being taken to restore normal service. Writing on X, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary figure mentioned he was communicating with Thames Water to figure out actions being taken to bring back regular service.
Meanwhile, Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding told the outlet that she is deeply worried about the leak’s impact on her constituents, specifically highlighting care homes caught in the dry zone. I'm really worried,
she said to The Standard. It's spreading to south west London – there does not appear to be any water supply this morning.
She added, Vulnerable communities are going to really struggle and that is unacceptable.
According to Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding, the source of the leak is a ruptured water main located near the Island Barn Reservoir in West Molesey, Surrey. The Standard understands that the reservoir itself is not leaking.
Residents in Kingston have also been left without water. Footage supplied to the Standard shows a local’s kitchen and bathroom completely lacking water, where opening the tap to its maximum setting yields nothing more than a weak stream.
Repair Operations and Rerouted Supplies
Specialist repair crews have deployed to the site near Island Barn Reservoir in West Molesey to stop water flooding from the broken pipe. Thames Water said it is dealing with the leak near Island Barn Reservoir in West Molesey. Thames Water stated that it has successfully rerouted water around the area, noting that customers in the Surbiton region should see supplies return shortly, though operating under lower-than-normal pressure until permanent repairs are finished.
However, the utility warned that restoring full service will take time. Our specialist team is now on site and working to stop the water flooding from the broken pipe,
Thames Water said, adding that the location of the burst makes a quick fix difficult. We believe up to 15,000 properties have been affected this morning and we again would like to say sorry to customers who have been affected and reassure them we are working to restore their water supply as quickly as possible,
the company said. Unfortunately, owing to the location of the burst, it's likely to take some time to fix.
Bottled Water Stations and Community Relief
Thames Water confirmed that bottled water will be delivered directly to customers registered as water-dependent on its Priority Services Register. The company also stated it would open bottled water stations, with locations to be announced once confirmed, noting that it "will be opening bottled water stations and will provide their locations once confirmed."
According to social media reports cited by The Standard, the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex is offering refills of water for residents without water who can attend the leisure centre to get access to fresh drinking water.