Local News · Wiltshire-wide
Royal Wootton Bassett residents face second water supply outage this month
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Homes in Royal Wootton Bassett have been left without running water for the second time in three days due to a burst water main.
Residents in Royal Wootton Bassett are facing further disruption to their water supply after a burst water main caused taps to run dry on Wednesday, 16 September. The incident marks the second time this month that local households have been affected by supply issues, following a similar outage just three days prior that forced some local businesses to temporarily close their doors.
Thames Water has apologised for the interruption, which the utility provider confirmed affected approximately 30 properties in the area. Engineers were dispatched to the site to carry out urgent repairs and restore the network. While the company stated that supplies were restored earlier on Wednesday, they cautioned that customers might still experience further intermittent service while final emergency repairs are completed.
The recurring nature of these bursts has been attributed to the recent period of intense hot weather. According to Thames Water, prolonged heat causes the ground to shrink and crack, which exerts significant pressure on buried water infrastructure. This ground movement increases the likelihood of pipes splitting. Additionally, the company noted that increased consumer demand for water during high temperatures puts further strain on the ageing network.
Thames Water has thanked residents for their patience as the engineering teams continue their efforts to secure the supply. The company is currently managing a high volume of repair work across its network, reporting that it is fixing more than 1,000 leaks per week during the current spell of hot weather.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Lifestyle · View original