Storm Ciaran: Hampshire Southern Water customers face loss of supply

The company says it is currently dealing with a "major incident" at its Testwood site, which supplies water to householders in the Southampton area.

Bottled water stations have opened at two leisure centres in the New Forest, one in Southampton and one in Eastleigh.

Hythe, Holbury, and Fawley are among the areas that have lost their supply.

READ MORE: Southern Water opens bottled water stations at Ageas Bowl and Places Leisure

Posting online, Southern Water said: "Although our expert teams are on site trying to fix the issue quickly, it is likely customers in postcodes SO40 and SO45 will have their water supply disrupted from this evening."

In a separate statement it added: "We’re really sorry that customers are likely to experience either low pressure or a loss of water supply.

"This is due to Storm Ciarán’s unprecedented impact on the water quality and levels of the River Test, close to our Testwood Water Supply Works.  

"This has made it extremely difficult for us to abstract water and treat it for drinking water, and has led to a temporary site shutdown.

"As a result, we are struggling to fill reservoirs in some areas.

One of the bottled water stations has opened at Gang Warily Recreation Centre in Newlands Road, Blackfield (Image: Newsquest)

"Our teams are working around the clock to get our Testwood site back working as soon as possible as stormwater levels fall and water quality improves.

"Other efforts include moving water around the network to where it is needed most, delivering bottled water to customers on our priority services register as a precaution, setting up bottled water stations at key sites and working closely with key community partners to ensure critical infrastructure is supported. 

"If you are concerned or are a vulnerable customer and need access to bottled water as a priority, please call us on 0330 303 0368."

READ MORE: Southern Water customers hit out after taps run dry again

The bottled water stations are at Applemore Health and Leisure in Claypits Lane, Hythe, Gang Warily Recreation Centre in Newlands Road, Blackfield, Places Leisure in Passfield Avenue, Eastleigh, and Costco in Regents Park Road, Southampton. They will be open until 10pm.

A bottled water station has also been opened at Places Leisure in Passfield Avenue, Eastleigh (Image: Newsquest.)

Dozens of people have taken to social media to voice their anger and dismay at the disruption to supplies.

One man said: "They have had issues at Testwood for quite some time now and try and hide behind a non-existent storm for this area."

A woman living at Armada Drive in Hythe said she had already lost her water supply.