Thames Water has once again extended its apologies to residents in south London who are experiencing either no water or very low water pressure due to a burst water main that occurred in Dulwich on Tuesday evening.
This disruption is impacting thousands of individuals in areas such as Crystal Palace, Forest Hill, Sydenham, West Norwood, and Streatham, including seven schools and three care homes.
The company stated that its teams are “working round the clock to rectify the issue,” and are supplying bottled water at a location outside of Sainsbury’s on Southend Lane.
The delay in restoring water services has led to a wave of complaints directed at Thames Water on social media, alongside an open letter from the local MP demanding a timeline for repairs and improved access to water distribution points.
Charlotte, a resident of Sydenham, shared her experience with BBC London at the Thames Water emergency water station outside the Southend Road Sainsbury’s. She mentioned that her water supply was cut off during Wednesday’s lunchtime.
After determining that the water would not return, she remarked, “We ended up defrosting some ice from the freezer.”
Charlotte and her partner were unable to flush their toilet, leading them to start “saving flushes.”
She noted that their one-year wedding anniversary fell on Wednesday, making the situation “very stressful.”
Ultimately, they depended on friends who had water available nearby for assistance.
Regarding accessing the emergency bottled water, Charlotte expressed, “It’s not particularly convenient for us—we had to walk 40 minutes to reach here, and I don’t have a car.”
She added, “We’ll have to bring this water back on the bus. It seems they should set up more locations since the water has been off for such a long period.”
Some customers took to social media to voice their frustrations about the situation.
In a message to Thames Water on Facebook, one customer remarked: “This is outrageous, still no water. You can’t even use your toilet, and not everyone has the ability to go and collect water, especially if they don’t drive.”
Another customer chimed in: “I have had no running water in SE20 since February 11, and it’s now the morning of the 13th. Without a car, I can’t carry heavy water bottles on public transport. I’ve spent a fortune on bottled water these past few days.”
On X, a different customer wrote: “Last night at 19:47, you contacted someone on your ‘priority’ register who is housebound, assuring her that you would deliver bottled water. She waited all night and is still waiting.”
The MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, Ellie Reeves, has sent an open letter to the chief executive of Thames Water demanding “prompt action and clear answers.”
“Families with young children and other vulnerable individuals have been without water for over 12 hours with no indication of when it will be restored,” she stated.
The MP also urged the water company to set up more than one water distribution station for customers.
She further pointed out, “This outage occurs at a time when you have recently informed many of my constituents that their water bills will see a significant increase.”
“With many already facing hardships, this situation combined with rising bills is extremely troubling.”
In response, Thames Water announced that it is continually providing updates to customers in the SE19, SE20, SE23, SE26, SE27, and SW16 areas, noting that teams had worked throughout the night to reroute water and that supply has now been restored to most properties.
The company assured customers that it would “continue to deliver bottled water to those registered in our priority services program in the affected areas.”
They also conveyed regret that the water bottle station had to be closed unexpectedly yesterday “due to a security incident,” but confirmed that the facility is now open at Sainsbury’s Southend Lane, SE26 4PU, while apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
Additionally, they indicated that a separate issue at the Crystal Palace Pumping Station was “compounding the supply difficulties.”
