Thousands of residents across south London have been left without water this morning following a major burst pipe, affecting homes and businesses in six postcodes.
The disruption has impacted Crystal Palace, Sydenham, and surrounding neighbourhoods, with postcodes SE19, SE20, SE23, SE26, SE27, and SW16 experiencing either a complete loss of water or low pressure.
Thames Water has confirmed that engineers have been working through the night to repair the burst pipe.
In addition, teams are dealing with a separate leak at Crystal Palace pumping station, which has added to the problem.
Local residents have expressed frustration over the ongoing water outage, with some reporting being without supply for over 16 hours.
Micon Metcalfe, a resident of West Norwood, said she has had no water since 4pm yesterday, forcing her to use stored rainwater for washing.
She added that Thames Water has provided periodic updates but has not given a clear timeline for when supply will be restored.
Businesses have also been affected. Gjergj Pjedij, owner of Roasted Bean café in Crystal Palace, noted that while his water pressure was stable this morning, he has experienced water pressure issues in the past, which have impacted business.
Frustrated Londoners have taken to social media to demand updates and solutions. Some have asked whether bottled water will be provided, as many still cannot drink, wash, or flush toilets.
One resident posted, “More than 12 hours without water in West Norwood. We don’t have water to drink and flush the toilet.”
Another asked: “Will you be providing bottled water? We cannot wash or flush loos. This is a long time with no water.”
Thames Water has installed emergency measures, including redirecting water through alternative pipelines. However, some residents have reported cloudy water with bubbles, which is caused by trapped air in the pipes during repairs.
The water outage comes as Ofwat, the UK’s water regulator, has launched an investigation into Thames Water over concerns it will fail to complete more than 100 environmental schemes that were funded by customers.
Thames Water had pledged to complete 812 projects as part of a national programme between 2020 and 2025, but Ofwat has now been informed that over 100 of these schemes will likely not be completed by the March 2025 deadline.
Thames Water has yet to confirm when full supply will be restored but is urging residents to check its official website and social media channels for live updates.
Residents in affected areas are advised to store any remaining water and report ongoing issues directly to Thames Water.
