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Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Over 13,000 households to get compensation payout worth £200 after major water disruption
Thousands of Brits are set to get a compensation payout of £200 after seeing a major disruption to their water supply over the last few days. Residents of Devon, Plymouth, Tavistock, and Torquay experienced a major water outage over the weekend. Around 13,000 properties across the areas lost access to water from Sunday. Supplier - South West Water (SWW) - confirmed that the outage was due to a major water main burst. The water supplier announced today that it had successfully restored the water supply across west Devon today, adding that every part of its water network was "back in operation". In a statement released today, it said: "It can take time for water to flow throughout the network due to topography and increasing demand, but we are monitoring our systems carefully and can confirm water is flowing throughout the network." The company also noted that as the water comes back into service, it is normal to expect discolouration, which should clear after running your cold kitchen tap. A spokesperson for SWW said: "We are pleased to say that customers should now be back in supply. We want to apologise again for the inconvenience this has caused, but we would also like to thank all of our customers for their patience and kindness to our teams on the ground providing bottled water." From universal credit to furlough, employment rights, travel updates and emergency financial aid - we've got all of the big financial stories you need to know about right now. Sign up to our Mirror Money newsletter here. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that households affected by the outage would receive a compensation payment worth £200. South West Water said it would credit affected domestic customers with a guaranteed £50 per 12 hours without service and £50 for each subsequent 12-hour period. It said: "This is over and above the current statutory amounts of £20 per 12 hours and £10 per subsequent 24-hour period." South West Water said it would compensate business customers by paying £100 per 12 hours without service and £100 for each subsequent 12-hour period. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics In association with Money Saving Club For all you savvy savers and bargain hunters out there, there's a golden opportunity to stretch your pounds further. The Money Saving Club newsletter, a favourite among thousands who thrive on catching the best deals, is stepping up its game. Simply follow the link and select one or more of the following topics to get all the latest deals and advice on: Travel; Property; Pets, family and home; Personal finance; Shopping and discounts; Utilities. SIGN UP HERE The company said this was also "over and above the current statutory payments" which were £50 per 12 hours and £25 for each subsequent 12-hour period without service. The total payment to business customers would sit at £400. Alongside this, businesses will also be able to apply for compensation for additional loss of service, and it will share details on this process as soon as it is able. SWW reiterated its commitment to fair compensation, describing the payments as a "gesture of goodwill" to make amends for the disruption. Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View Fred Thomas, however, shared that South West Water told him the total compensation figure for household customers would reach up to £250, with businesses set for a £400 payout, according to a BBC report. During the outage, the Labour MP pressed SWW for action, calling the situation "unacceptable."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Water back for some but schools closed after burst
Water supplies have been successfully restored for some properties across west Devon following a burst main, South West Water (SWW) has said. The water company said at about 07:30 BST on Wednesday its customers should now be back in supply, but some schools and businesses said they were still not restored. Thousands of properties in Plymouth, Bere Alston, Yelverton, and Tavistock lost supplies following a burst water main on Sunday. On Tuesday, SWW said the 13,000 properties who experienced a loss of water supply would receive £200 compensation. A spokesperson for SWW said: "We are pleased to say that customers should now be back in supply. "We want to apologise again for the inconvenience this has caused, but we would also like to thank all of our customers for their patience and kindness to our teams on the ground providing bottled water." Whitchurch Community Primary School said it had taken the decision to close for the second day in a row as it was experiencing "water issues". On social media, the school said: "I apologise in advance for any disruption caused. "I hope you all manage to access some water today and hopefully see everyone back at school tomorrow." Devon County Council also confirmed Bickleigh Down Church Of England Primary School, in Plymouth, was closed on Wednesday due to the lack of water. Horrabridge Primary School, which was closed due to having no water on Tuesday, said it still did not have supplies on Wednesday but would be opening to its students. The head teacher said SWW was providing the school with 12 portable toilets which were due to arrive before 09:00 GMT. Nuffield Health Devonshire leisure centre in Derriford, Plymouth said it remained closed due to the issues, as well as Plymouth Marjon University, including the Marjon Sport and Health Centre. South West Water said every part of its water network was "back in operation". It said: "It can take time for water to flow throughout the network due to topography and increasing demand, but we are monitoring our systems carefully and can confirm water is flowing throughout the network." Customers still experiencing ongoing problems as isolated issues are likely to be due to an air lock, SWW said, and are encouraged to contact them. The four bottled water stations it had set up will remain open until 10:00 GMT on Wednesday, and the team would continue to make deliveries to its priority service customers. The stations are located at The George Park and Ride, Bere Alston Bowling Club, Knightstone Tearooms in Yelverton and Morrisons in Tavistock. Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, said oN Wednesday residents were "furious" and could not understand why SWW had communicated "so poorly". He said: "Despite assurances from SWW yesterday it would be back this morning, schools and businesses [are] deciding this morning they cannot open." Thomas said he had also "demanded an improved compensation package". He said in the company has told him the total payment for household customers is expected to be £250, and the figure for business customers is expected to be £500. On Tuesday, the company said household customers would receive £200, and businesses £400. SWW said: "Recognising the impact on customers and communities, we will credit impacted customers as set out in our revised Customer Promise for 2025, guaranteeing a £50 payment per 12 hours without service, and £50 for each subsequent 12-hour period. "This is over and above the current statutory amounts of £20 per 12 hours, and £10 per subsequent 24-hour period. The total payment to household customers is expected to be £250. "Business customers will receive a £100 payment per 12 hours and £100 for each subsequent 12-hour period, again over and above the current statutory payments of £50 per 12 hours and £25 for each subsequent 12-hour period." The company said as water comes back into service, it is normal to expect discolouration, which should clear after running your cold kitchen tap. "It is also common for air to become trapped in the supply, or within the internal plumbing," SWW said. Customers who are still experiencing no water have been advised by the water company to follow "simple steps" to check for airlocks. It said to turn on the internal stop-tap on and off three times to release any air whilst the cold kitchen tap is running, and to check the external stop-tap was open, if safe to do so. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Water outage households to get £200 compensation 13,000 homes affected by burst water main South West Water
Scottish Sun
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of Brits to get £200 payout after burst pipe sparked huge water outage
WATER MESS Thousands of Brits to get £200 payout after burst pipe sparked huge water outage THOUSANDS of Brits are set to receive £200 compensation after a burst water main left homes and businesses without water for days. South West Water (SWW) will give a £200 credit to all affected households after water outages hit around 13,000 properties across Devon, Plymouth, Tavistock, Torquay, and nearby areas from Sunday to midweek. Advertisement 5 The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 22 cases of a diarrhoea-type illness caused by the waterborne parasite cryptosporidium Credit: Neil Hope 5 The chaos hit areas across Plymouth,Tavistock and Torquay Credit: Getty 5 Locals had been falling ill for over a week before South-West Water issued a tap water alert, suggesting that water was boiled before being drank Credit: Neil Hope The disruption began when a major water main burst, causing widespread outages. South West Water (SWW) said supplies were expected to return by Wednesday, and as of early Tuesday, engineers were still working non-stop to repair the damage and safely refill the network. Business customers will be offered tailored compensation packages, depending on the extent of their losses. They will also receive £100 for every 12 hours without supply and can apply for additional compensation. Advertisement Fred Thomas, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, pressed SWW for action, calling the situation "unacceptable." And said in a series of posts on X that all water supply would return "first thing" on Wednesday morning. He said he had spoken directly with SWW chief executive Susan Davy to demand a clear timeline and fair compensation. 'I'm pleased they've agreed to a £200 credit for households,' said Mr Thomas. Advertisement 'Businesses can reach out to me directly for help with compensation claims.' SWW's Managing Director of Water Services, David Harris, apologised to customers, acknowledging the frustration caused. 'This is a tricky task,' he said. 'We're refilling hundreds of miles of pipes and clearing air pockets carefully to avoid further issues. Advertisement "We didn't plan this and we're very sorry.' The company also confirmed that bottled water stations were set up in key locations including The George Park and Ride, Bere Alston Bowling Club, Knightstone Tearooms in Yelverton, and Morrisons in Tavistock. Schools, universities, and leisure centres were among the worst affected. Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School closed after struggling to get updates from SWW, while Nuffield Health Devonshire in Plymouth and Plymouth Marjon University also temporarily shut down. Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP for Tavistock, called for faster support for vulnerable residents and criticised what he described as a 'worrying pattern of poor service' from SWW. Advertisement Local mum-of-three Morwenna Roesner from Tavistock said her family was without water for more than 36 hours. 'It's frustrating not being able to do basic things like dishes or shower, but staying hydrated is the most important thing, especially for people on medication,' she said. SWW reiterated its commitment to fair compensation, describing the payments as a "gesture of goodwill" to make amends for the disruption. 5 Water supplies started returning early Wednesday morning after engineers worked round the clock to repair the burst pipe Credit: Alamy Advertisement
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of Brits to get £200 payout after burst pipe sparked huge water outage
THOUSANDS of Brits are set to receive £200 compensation after a burst water main left homes and businesses without water for days. South West Water (SWW) will give a £200 credit to all affected households after water outages hit around 13,000 properties across Devon Plymouth, Tavistock, Torquay, and nearby areas from Sunday to midweek. 5 5 5 The disruption began when a major water main burst, causing widespread outages. South West Water (SWW) said supplies were expected to return by Wednesday, and as of early Tuesday, engineers were still working non-stop to repair the damage and safely refill the network. Business customers will be offered tailored compensation packages, depending on the extent of their losses. They will also receive £100 for every 12 hours without supply and can apply for additional compensation. Fred Thomas, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, pressed SWW for action, calling the situation "unacceptable." And said in a series of posts on X that all water supply would return "first thing" on Wednesday morning. He said he had spoken directly with SWW chief executive Susan Davy to demand a clear timeline and fair compensation. 'I'm pleased they've agreed to a £200 credit for households,' said Mr Thomas. 'Businesses can reach out to me directly for help with compensation claims.' SWW's Managing Director of Water Services, David Harris, apologised to customers, acknowledging the frustration caused. 'This is a tricky task,' he said. 'We're refilling hundreds of miles of pipes and clearing air pockets carefully to avoid further issues. "We didn't plan this and we're very sorry.' The company also confirmed that bottled water stations were set up in key locations including The George Park and Ride, Bere Alston Bowling Club, Knightstone Tearooms in Yelverton, and Morrisons in Tavistock. Schools, universities, and leisure centres were among the worst affected. Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School closed after struggling to get updates from SWW, while Nuffield Health Devonshire in Plymouth and Plymouth Marjon University also temporarily shut down. Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP for Tavistock, called for faster support for vulnerable residents and criticised what he described as a 'worrying pattern of poor service' from SWW. Local mum-of-three Morwenna Roesner from Tavistock said her family was without water for more than 36 hours. 'It's frustrating not being able to do basic things like dishes or shower, but staying hydrated is the most important thing, especially for people on medication,' she said. SWW reiterated its commitment to fair compensation, describing the payments as a "gesture of goodwill" to make amends for the disruption. 5
ITV News
21-04-2025
- Climate
- ITV News
Around 13,000 Plymouth households hit by burst water main
Thousands of homes in Plymouth have no water or a loss of pressure due to a burst water main. South West Water confirmed approximately 13,000 households have a loss of pressure, or no water at all. 8.18am - Monday 21 April South West Water said customers in the PL6, PL19 and PL20 areas 'may be experiencing lower water pressure than usual or a loss of supply'. A spokesperson said: 'Our team have been working through the night to repair the burst and remain on site working to restore supply as quickly as possible.' Two water collections points have been set up for customers - George Park and Ride, Tavistock Road, PL6 7HB (what3words = Bere Alston Bowling Club, Bedford Street, Bere Alston, PL20 7DZ (what3words = Water will be available for collection from 8.30am-10pm daily. The company said: 'We will also be delivering bottled water to all customers on our Priority Services Register.' 12.37pm - Monday 21 April The impacted areas spread to PL7. The company said 'an engineer [is] on the way to investigate'. 1.30pm - Monday 21 April SWW said: 'Our team have been working hard overnight to resolve this issue, however the works needed are more complex than originally anticipated. 'Our team on site will continue working until this is resolved. 'We are very sorry for the disruption caused and would like to thank you for your patience.' On social media comments from customers, SWW said: "Unfortunately we don't have a timescale for this. I do apologise for any inconvenience." 3.15pm - Monday 21 April SWW confirmed they have isolated the problem and are now working to fix it. 'With as many as 13,000 households across Plymouth impacted, I am calling on South West Water to immediately: 'Open more bottled water distribution sites so residents don't need to drive. They should be available in a 5 min walks for everyone affected. Traffic will be unworkable tomorrow otherwise. Or just deliver to every house. 'Confirm TODAY which schools and businesses will be affected tomorrow. 'Tell us what ££ compensation packages will look like. 'Ensure you have delivered to every vulnerable or higher needs household affected by 6pm today.
