Homes in Hastings could face Christmas without water following mains burst.
A burst main in a wooded area north of Hastings has left many areas of the town facing a potential Christmas period without water as Southern Water teams work to repair it.
In a statement released early on Tuesday evening, Southern Water said: "At present, customers’ water supply is unaffected. If there is any change in the situation, we will let people know as soon as possible.
The burst main was pinpointed on Tuesday morning, and repairs have been going on through the day. The site is in woodland but Southern Water teams have been able to access it quickly.
To help keep customers in supply, we also have a fleet of tankers ready to inject water directly into the network if required.
If anyone is concerned about a vulnerable customer (eg a dialysis patient or severely disabled person) who needs access to bottled water as a priority, they can call us on 0330 303 0368. Unless urgent, please try not to call us while we focus on our most vulnerable customers.
Our teams will work through the night if necessary to mend the burst main as quickly as possible. We will provide updates as we progress towards resolving the problem.
Southern Water’s MD for Water, Tim McMahon, said: “We are taking these measures as a precaution against a worst case scenario and impact on supply tomorrow (Christmas Eve) evening. Our teams will fix the burst main as quickly as possible.
"While we work to protect supply to homes and businesses in Hastings, we would ask customers please not to use more water than usual, and not to stockpile mains water, as this will make the situation worse. Thank you for your understanding as we fix the issue.”
Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore said on Tuesday evening: "I’m deeply frustrated that Hastings is once again paying the price for Southern Water’s failures. A burst pipe has left our town with a limited water supply and this means there could be an outage on Christmas Eve.
"My immediate priority is protecting residents, particularly the most vulnerable, and supporting local businesses at this critical time. I’ve pressed Southern Water to act fast to open as many water stations as possible, deliver directly to those on the priority services list, and provide extra water to pubs, restaurants and hotels. I will be holding Southern Water to account and asking the questions that need to be asked, but right now my focus is on ensuring everyone has access to the water they need and limiting the impact of this."
Hastings town manager John Bownas said: “It’s not a question of repairing and maintaining this pipe. It was condemned as failing more than a decade ago, it needs replacing entirely, and a senior Southern Water officer confirmed to me today this is planned for next year.
"The history of bursts on this main shows that 95% of the time the repairs happen before supplies are interrupted, but it’s still essential that a permanent long-term solution is implemented to reduced the chances of situations such as the one we might now be facing.
Southern Water was out delivering bottled water supplies to local businesses and vulnerable residents overnight on Tuesday.
More on this story as it unfolds today.