Burst water main in Holland Park causes chaos in west London

Burst water main on Holland Park roundabout; photograph Sebastian Coltrane

Update at 9.30am, Thursday 22 January

Bottled water provided for those still without running water, but water supply should be almost back to normal

Thames Water is continuing to work on the burst water pipe near Holland Park roundabout on Thursday 22 January.

They put out an update at 09.30 saying they were not aware of any customers whose supplies are still affected as a result of this burst main, but they opened a bottled water station last night at Chiswick Rugby Club in Dukes Meadows which will remain in place today ‘as a precaution’.

They also have several water tankers on standby in the W4 area that can be used to boost pressure in the water supply network if needed.

Water trucks on standby in Chiswick

Customers in high-rise buildings, particularly on upper floors, may notice lower pressure at busier times of the day.

They say they are contacting medical centres, schools and care homes to make sure their water supply is running as expected, and any customers who do experience problems should contact them for help. They are updating their website so customers can find out the latest information and know how to get in touch if they need to.

At the site of the burst main they are preparing to make the necessary repairs. At 9.30 am they reported:

‘We haven’t yet started digging, as we’re awaiting essential ground surveys to make sure it’s safe for our teams to work. These checks are important to allow us to plan the repair safely and avoid any further risks.

‘Once surveys are complete, we’ll need to carry out some tree removal in the area before excavation can begin. We’re working to progress this as quickly as possible while ensuring the safety of our teams and the public’.

They are working with the local council to reopen as much of the carriageway next to the site of the burst as soon as possible.

Andy Slaughter slams Thames Water’s “legacy of failure” in parliamentary debate

Amdy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith & Chiswick, raised the burst main in the debate on the water industry in Parliament. He said:

“Last night, a 30-inch water main burst at Holland Park roundabout on the boundary of my constituency and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe Powell).

“Homes and cars were flooded to a depth of three feet, and since the water was diverted away from the burst, thousands of residents across west London have had little or no fresh water, schools are closed and traffic is in chaos.

“This and hundreds of smaller bursts in the recent cold weather are the legacy of Thames Water’s failure over not years but decades … For my constituents, effective inspection and regulation cannot come soon enough”.

Update at 5.15pm, Wednesday 21 January

There are still around 3,000 homes affected by the water loss in Chiswick as a result of the burst water main at Holland Park roundabout.

Thames Water is delivering water to 117 residents registered as most vulnerable on their priority services register Priority Services Register while Hounslow Council say staff have made contact with those they know are vulnerable and care home staff have made sure their residents have drinking water.

Thames Water has prioritised water deliveries and bowsers to care homes and sheltered schemes and will be opening a bottled water facility in the Chiswick area ‘in the next hour or so’ (location to be confirmed).

There is currently no estimated time of repair and Thames Water is planning a larger bottled water distribution site tomorrow.

Emergency services and Thames Water working on fixing the leak and clearing up

Update at 2.30pm, Wednesday 21 January

Schools and businesses forced to close as thousands of people lose access to water

People in a large area of west London woke up this morning to find they had either no water or low water pressure because of a burst trunk main water pipe at Holland Park roundabout which happened overnight.

The burst caused serious flooding in Holland Park, where people found water pouring into their basements in the early hours of the morning and parked cars were semi-submerged.

The water from the trunk main which burst has been flowing from the roundabout along Holland Park Avenue and into the residential area. Thames Water said it had stopped the flooding, the but the water was still flowing late morning.

Photographs of the flooding taken by Holland Park residents overnight

4,000 homes in Chiswick affected

Hounslow Council has confirmed that 4,000 homes in Chiswick have been affected. Schools are closed. The Chiswick Calendar has been told that Belmont, Strand and Cavendish primary schools are closed because of it.

Hospitality businesses also had to close because they did not have water, or enough water to flush the toilets. Some, like George IV on Chiswick High Road, were closed this morning, but opened later in the day. by 1.30om George IV was open to serve drinks but their kitchen was still closed. Virgin Active gym in Chiswick Business Park was closed.

Thames Water engineers on site; photograph Sebastian Coltrane

Thames Water update at 1.30pm – team still working to control the leak

Thames Water has been updating customers throughout the day. At 1.30pm they apologised for ‘continued disruption’.

Earlier in the day they were saying they had stopped the flooding, but one Holland Park resident told The Chiswick Calendar mid-morning the flooding was really bad overnight, then it got better, “but now it has got worse again”.

At 11.15 am she was still having to wade through water to get out of her house. Ironically, she lives on Clearwater Terrace. She told us:

“I have to pick up my daughter from school early because she won’t be able to come home by herself without walking through flooded water and ruining her school uniform.”

Holland Park; photographs Sebastian Coltrane

At 1.30pm Thames Water reported:

‘Following further investigation, we can confirm that the flooding identified earlier is linked to the original burst water pipe near Holland Park roundabout, W11 and is not the result of a new burst.

‘Our teams are on site and are working to control the leak and manage the situation safely. We continue to work closely with the emergency services, and traffic controls remain in place to protect the public.

‘We know some customers are still experiencing issues and we’re working to restore services as quickly as possible. Others may notice lower water pressure initially, but this should improve as pressure builds in the pipes.

‘While this work is carried out, customers in the following postcodes may experience low pressure or no water’: W1C, W1F, W1G, W1H, W1K, W1S, W1T, W1W, W1, W2, W3, W4, W6, W8, W9, W10, W11, W12, and W14.

This is a longer list of postcodes than they gave out earlier.

Holland Park; photograph Sebastian Coltrane

Chiswick residents woke up to find either low water pressure or no water at all

Thames Water published a notification just before 7.00am on Wednesday 21 January saying:

‘Sorry if your tap water is not flowing right now. We are aware of a burst water pipe by Holland Park roundabout, W11.

‘Our team are on site and have stopped the water flooding in the area. We are working with the fire services and police to keep everyone safe. Traffic controls are also in place to protect the public.

‘Your tap water should now be returning, it may be at a lower pressure initially, but this will improve as it increases in the pipes’.

The postcodes that are affected, where customers may have low water pressure or no water, are: W1H, W4, W6, W8, W11, W12, W13 and W14.

Holland Park; photograph Sebastian Coltrane

Traffic chaos caused by the burst

The burst water pipe has also caused traffic chaos in roads around west London, with traffic backing up on the Westway and the Uxbridge Road.

Holland Park Avenue has been partially closed in both directions, between Princedale Road and the Holland Park Roundabout, and the easterm part of the roundabout has also been closed.

Also closed to vehicles: A3220 West Cross Route between the Northern Roundabout and the Holland Park Roundabout, which has had an effect on the Westway, causing tailbacks. Traffic has been very slow moving on the Uxbridge Road.

Holland Park; photograph Sebastian Coltrane

Accessing help from Thames Water

There is a contact number for anyone who has been affected by flooding as a result of the burst main. Thames Water said they would offer ‘support’ on 0800 316 9800.

In their bulletin this morning they said:

‘We know how disruptive it is if you lose your water supply, so we’ll work hard to get things back to normal as soon as we can’.

‘If you or someone you know needs a little extra support, our free Priority Services Register can help us to understand your situation so we can take it into account as best we can. If you’re already on our priority register, no need to call us. We’re already on our way to deliver bottled water’.

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