Households across the UK were further inconvenienced as thawing snow burst multiple pipes, leaving tens of thousands of homes without running water.
After Storm Emma, around 12,000 homes are currently without water access or are experiencing very low-pressure levels in London alone, according to data released by Thames Water.
Londoners affected were understandably annoyed by the situation, taking to social media to express their concerns and annoyance, with many tweeting directly to water suppliers.
There’s no water in north London and Thames water is handing out bottles like it’s a 3rd world country
— Cam (@BFooli) 4 March 2018
"We've seen an increase in leaks and bursts on our network, which we are urgently dealing with as fast as we possibly can. But the sudden and widespread surge in demand, coinciding with the rise in temperatures, means we also need to urge all our customers to check their own pipes for bursts and call a plumber if necessary. We are getting as much extra water into our network as we can and sincerely apologize to all our customers who are currently without water or who have low pressure," said Thames Water in a press release.
I think it is time we know exactly what is happening regarding the loss of water in parts of London. I am hearing & seeing different stories. When will water be restored! #truth #behonest #noinformation #sw16 #sw17 #sw18 #watergate #alternatefacts @MayorofLondon @thameswater
— angie (@angelzwordup) 5 March 2018
A small number of residents also reported power outages, though electricity providers are yet to confirm any supply disruptions.
A number of water handout points have been set up in London to provide the worst affected people with fresh water.
Emergency water stations have been set up in South London where melted snow has left behind burst pipes and low pressure pic.twitter.com/VoZRQbRGjh
— Roisin Hastie (@RoisinHastie) 5 March 2018
Another 5,000 homes in Kent are experiencing similar problems with intermittent supply, in addition to thousands more across Wales. Water networks in other parts of the UK — including Birmingham, Nottingham and Derbyshire — have apologized to customers who were briefly left without water access, but added that most supply issues have now been resolved.
I think it is time we know exactly what is happening regarding the loss of water in parts of London. I am hearing & seeing different stories. When will water be restored! #truth #behonest #noinformation #sw16 #sw17 #sw18 #watergate #alternatefacts @MayorofLondon @thameswater
— angie (@angelzwordup) 5 March 2018
However, some suppliers have kept warnings in place and are advising customers to use water sparingly, as some parts of the UK are still experiencing shortages. Southern Water, which supplies much of Kent, urged customers to "only use the water you absolutely must."
"These problems are likely to continue over the next few days", said a Welsh Water spokesman.
