A burst water main in south London and Surrey caused a major disruption to water supplies on Wednesday, leaving thousands of residents, schools, and businesses without water or experiencing low pressure. Thames Water reported that approximately 6,000 properties across five boroughs in south London and two boroughs in Surrey were affected.

The rupture, located in Molesey, reportedly leaked around 750 liters of water per second. The incident forced several educational institutions to close, including Esher College, a sixth-form college serving 2,000 students, Kingston Grammar School, Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School, Thames Ditton Infant School, and Hollyfield School and Sixth-Form Centre in Surbiton.

Local officials expressed concern over the outage. Monica Harding, Liberal Democrat MP for Esher and Walton, called the situation “completely unacceptable” and urged Thames Water to expedite repairs and protect vulnerable populations. Paul Kohler, Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon, said he had contacted Thames Water following reports of water disruptions in Wimbledon, New Malden, Raynes Park, and Morden.

According to some reports, the burst was caused when a contractor operating a digger in the Walton area accidentally struck the water main.

Thames Water spokespersons confirmed that repair crews were actively working on the site but warned that restoration would take some time. Efforts to reroute water supplies were underway to mitigate the impact. The company also announced it was providing water deliveries to customers on its priority services register and planned to open bottled water distribution points, with locations to be communicated once finalized.

While the number of affected properties has decreased to fewer than 6,000, Thames Water apologized for the inconvenience and reassured customers that work to restore water service is ongoing. Authorities emphasized the importance of patience as emergency repairs continue.