Water Crisis Strikes London Homes and Schools

A significant number of London residences are grappling with a lack of water or diminished pressure due to an issue at a local facility.

On Tuesday, September 12, a malfunction was identified at a water plant in West London, leading to schools announcing closures for Wednesday. This has sparked concern among MPs, urging Thames Water to inform the public about when regular service will resume, writes the Telegraph.

Thames Water’s Response

Thames Water has acknowledged the situation, planning to deploy tankers to assist hospitals. It’s believed that thousands are impacted by this water interruption.

The company anticipates water restoration by Wednesday, September 13. However, many students in London might have already missed their classes because of this disruption.

A representative from Thames Water commented, ‘We’re really sorry to customers in West London who are experiencing low pressure or no water. We’re working hard to fix the issue, which was caused by a power supply problem which has affected our Ashford and Hampton water treatment works in west London. We’re now back in power and expect water supply to return across the day.

‘As a precaution, we’re bringing tankers into the area to support local hospitals and critical infrastructure. Getting water supplies back on is our top priority and while our team work on this we’re identifying everyone in the affected area who has pre-registered with us as having special requirements, such as being medically reliant on water, so we can get in touch and make sure we give them the help and support they need.’

Areas Affected By Water Disruption

Initially, Thames Water indicated that over 50 postcodes were experiencing water issues due to the power glitch. This number was later adjusted to 35, primarily in South West and West London. Educational institutions in Twickenham and Richmond were among the earliest to declare closures.

Sarah Olney, a Liberal Democrat MP, shared on social media, ‘I’ve just learnt that areas across the constituency will have no, or low, water pressure today due to a power supply issue at the Ashford and Hampton Treatment Works. I’ve reached out to @thameswater to ask when residents can expect the issue to be resolved.’

Munira Wilson, representing Twickenham for the Lib Dems, expressed her concern, ‘Info here re local lack of water/water pressure. I’m hearing some schools locally aren’t opening this morning due lack of water. Our supply in Whitton also stopped this morning @thameswater need to sort this soon!’