Burst pipe leaves Enfield families without water

A north London resident whose family is one of about 750 households that have spent three days without water due to a burst pipe has said they have had to resort to buying bottled water to flush their toilet.

Filomena Gianfrancesco, 56, said she and her family of six have been without water in Enfield since Sunday.

"I had never realised how difficult it was to be without water, and on day three today things are beginning to get quite hard," she said. "No washing, no toilet, no washing up, no laundry."

Thames Water said in an update on its website that repair work on the damaged pipe would begin on Tuesday evening and was expected to take "several days".

The EN1, EN2, N14 and N21 postcode areas in the capital have been affected.

Thames Water said "exceptionally dry ground conditions" from drought conditions were increasing pressure on buried pipes.

"As the ground dries and shrinks, it moves and this can cause pipes to shift and burst," the company said.

Gianfrancesco said that although Thames Water had set up a bottled water station at Forty Hall Estate, it was "quite far" from their home and required a car.

"We have jobs that require us to be in the office," she said. "I am not going to take a day off work just so I can drive five miles to get to the water station.

"We are spending money buying bottled water to flush the loo."

Gianfrancesco said that she had registered her family with the water company's priority service because her daughters have a chronic health condition that requires them to stay hydrated, but had yet to receive any bottled water.

"What is particularly frustrating is that water pipes around the area have been repaired and replaced repeatedly over the past 10 years following numerous bursts," she said.

"Our water bills have increased by 30% recently, yet we continue to experience the same problem."

Thames Water said on its website that engineers would be working overnight to restore supplies as quickly as possible.

"Water tankers will remain in the area, providing access to water for those affected," it said.

"We understand the significant disruption this is causing and would like to thank our customers and local communities for their continued patience and understanding."

Elsewhere in the capital, two other areas are experiencing low or no water due to burst or broken pipes.

In south London, a burst water main pipe on Croydon Road has affected residents in the CR0, CR4, CR7, SW16 and SW19 postcodes.

And in south-east London, residents in SE9 are experiencing low water pressure after a broken pipe was discovered in Footscray Road, Thames Water said.

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