Water supplies return following main burst

Water supplies should be restored to properties affected by a burst water main in Oxfordshire, Thames Water has said.

At least 12 schools, along with thousands of homes in the OX7, OX18, OX28, OX29 and GL7 postcodes have had no water or low pressure since a broken pipe that feeds reservoirs was found next to Oxford Road at Eynsham last week.

Thames Water said the network had "recovered well" following the successful repair but it would take some time for water pressure to return to normal.

Bottled water stations remain in operation at Burford School and at Morrisons, Carterton.

Thames Water said the pipe had been fixed on Thursday evening and refilling of the network was carried out throughout Friday.

It explained that air trapped in the network could prevent pressure from returning to normal.

On Saturday, it said the properties in Leafield, Burford and Minster Lovell were still experiencing issues

An update on Sunday said: "Our teams are actively working to remove any trapped air by flushing the system and carefully managing flows across the network.

"This can take some time, but it will help restore normal water pressure as quickly as possible."

It added when water returned to taps it may be discoloured at first which was normal and should clear within two to three hours.

Following the burst, Thames Water said additional staff were being brought in and "special measures" were in place to keep hospitals supplied.

The damaged pipe had been isolated on Wednesday, but excavation to get to it had proved more difficult than expected "due to excessive groundwater".

It has thanked customers for their patience and apologised for the inconvenience.

Thames Water said residents who might need extra help while supplies were disrupted should sign up to the company's priority services register.

Carers, friends, or family can also register on behalf of someone they think could benefit from extra support.

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