Thousands of households in Crawley are facing significant disruption today, Sunday 27 September, following a major burst to a trunk water main.
Approximately 9,000 properties in the RH11 postcode area have been identified as having no water or experiencing very low pressure. The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, has also led to the closure of several key arterial roads in the town.
Southern Water confirmed that neighbourhoods including Woolborough Road, Holmcroft, Southgate, Tilgate, and Furnace Green are among the worst affected. Engineers arrived on-site early on Sunday to assess the damage to the large-diameter pipe.
Road closures and traffic disruption
Sussex Police are currently supporting Southern Water by managing several road closures around the Southgate Roundabout. Motorists are being advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes where possible.
The following roads are currently closed to traffic:
- Southgate Avenue
- Crawley Avenue (A23)
- Brighton Road
- Winfield Way
Restoration of water supplies
As of 1:49 PM, Southern Water reported that it had begun the process of restoring supplies to the affected properties. While water is beginning to flow back into the network, the company warned that the process would be gradual as pressure builds up across the system.
A spokesperson for Southern Water stated that bottled water stations are being established for residents who remain without a supply. The utility provider is also prioritising deliveries of bottled water to customers on its Priority Services Register, who may be more vulnerable during the outage.
According to the latest Southern Water supply update, residents may notice their water appears cloudy or discoloured once it returns. This is described as a common occurrence after a burst and is usually caused by air bubbles or disturbed sediment in the pipes.
Official advice for residents when the water returns is to run the cold kitchen tap slowly for several minutes until the water runs clear.
Police and utility crews remain at the scene near the Southgate Roundabout. No timeframe has yet been confirmed for when the A23 and surrounding roads will fully reopen to traffic.