Thousands of customers in West Sussex are currently experiencing little to no water after a failure at Southern Water’s Hardham water supply works. The company said that the outage was due to unusually low levels of chlorine and apologized to customers for the inconvenience.
As of now, the outage has affected around 20,000 customers in the Billinghurst area of West Sussex. This number could increase to 40,000 by lunchtime. Customers who receive their water supply from the Upper Nash and Itchenfield reservoirs have been affected by the outage.
Southern Water has made efforts to compensate for the disruption. A bottled water station has opened in Billingshurst Football Club and deliveries to vulnerable customers are underway. Local fire crews have also been brought in to assist in the dispersal of water bottles. Additionally, a fleet of 19 tankers is supporting hospitals and areas most in need of supplies.
The company has issued a statement assuring its customers that it is doing everything in its power to restore the supply as soon as possible. However, according to them, it could take up to 36 hours to get back to normal. Horsham, Billingshurst, Broadbridge Heath, Pulborough, Codmore Hill, West Chiltington, Wisborough Green, Rudgwick, Loxwood, Barns Green, and Slinfold have all experienced disrupted services.
Southern Water said they had no choice but to shut down the site to ensure public safety. Their sites operate according to strict standards for water quality and are designed to automatically shut down well in advance of any risk to their customers.
The company has faced criticism in the past for their handling of environmental issues. In 2019, Southern Water was fined after illegally discharging sewage into the sea for several years. Despite these controversies, they remain the primary supplier of water and wastewater services in the south of England.
Credit: itv.com
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