Thousands of individuals are facing water shortages following a significant pipe rupture earlier today, impacting residences and businesses. In response to the ongoing crisis, designated water distribution points have been established in Plymouth, facilitating pickups from 8:30 am to 10 pm. Local residents have observed substantial lines forming as people await bottled water distributions until the situation is resolved. Despite continuous efforts by South West Water teams to address the burst pipe overnight, the issue persists, causing distress for many over the bank holiday period.
Expressing frustration, a resident shared with PlymouthLive: “Numerous households are impacted. Long queues have formed at the George Park and Ride. I am currently in line. Initially, people could park and fetch water manually, but now it’s restricted to drive-through only. Consequently, tensions are rising as individuals need to rejoin the queue. I am uncertain how those from the nearby estate can collect water on foot.”
Another individual remarked: “The situation is somewhat chaotic here. Management seems challenging, and there is a shortage of South West Water personnel. As an able-bodied person, I attempted to walk, but due to the drive-through setup causing significant delays, I had to return to my vehicle and re-enter the queue.”
A South West Water spokesperson indicated that a timeline for service restoration is currently unavailable due to the burst main. They stated: “Customers in PL6, PL19, and PL20 may be experiencing water supply disruptions as a result of the incident on our network. Our team worked tirelessly through the night to rectify the rupture and continue to be on-site striving to expedite supply restoration.”
Expressing regret for the inconvenience caused, the spokesperson added: “We have established two Water Collection points at George Park and Ride, Tavistock Road, for affected customers. Water will be accessible for pickup from 8:30 am to 10 pm. Additionally, bottled water will be delivered to customers registered under our Priority Services Register.”