Schools and colleges closed in Britain after water main burst — The Guardian

In Molesey, in the English county of Surrey, a burst Thames Water main caused disruptions to water supplies in parts of London and Surrey. About 6,000 properties in five south London boroughs and two areas of Surrey were left without water or with low pressure, The Guardian reports.

Educational institutions closed

Schools, colleges, businesses and homes in seven areas were affected by the incident. Esher College, which has about 2,000 students, sent students home and suspended operations. Kingston Grammar School, Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School, Thames Ditton Infant School, and Hollyfield School and Sixth Form Centre in Surbiton also closed.

In a message to parents, Hollyfield School said that its water supply was not being replenished as quickly as it was being used. The school warned that it could run out of water by lunchtime, making it unsafe for students to remain at the school.

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Repairs and water supply

Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding, who represents Esher and Walton, said that after the large pipe burst in the morning, water was leaking at a rate of 750 litres per second. According to her, residents had been without water supply since about 5:00 a.m.

Thames Water said engineers were working to repair the burst in Molesey and redirecting water to reduce the impact on customers. The company also said it was delivering water to vulnerable customers registered for priority assistance and planned to open bottled water distribution points. Later, the number of affected properties fell to fewer than 6,000.

According to separate reports, the water main may have been damaged by a contractor using an excavator, allegedly causing a rupture about four feet long. Thames Water did not officially specify the cause of the incident in the cited statement.