Residents on Hook Road in Chessington are facing a clean-up after a burst water main flooded garages and cars on Saturday, in a disruption that began in the early hours and is still being repaired into the evening.
Thames Water said the burst, on Hook Road, left some customers in the KT9 area and its surroundings with no water or low pressure on Saturday morning. By the afternoon the company had restored supplies to everyone affected, but the permanent repair was still under way and crews were expected to be working extended hours over the coming days.
The flooding damage emerged gradually through the day. In its latest update, at 3.50pm, Thames Water confirmed that further impacts had been identified since the main was isolated, including flooding to residential garages and vehicles. Loss adjusters are now attending the site, and customer representatives are working directly with the residents affected.
“Further flooding impacts have been identified, including flooding to a number of residential garages and vehicles,” the company said. “Our customer representatives remain in the area and are working directly with affected residents, with loss adjusters attending site.”
A morning without water
The burst struck on Saturday morning, and by 7am specialist teams were already at the scene preparing to repair the main. Engineers were also moving water around the network in an attempt to keep supplies going while the damaged section was dealt with.
By 9.23am part of the damaged pipe had been isolated, which helped water pressure recover for some customers, although others were still experiencing low pressure or no water at that point. Supplies were then restored to all affected customers, Thames Water confirmed in an update at 12.23pm.
By the 3.50pm update the network was described as stable, with no further widespread interruptions since the damaged main was isolated. But the company was clear that the job was far from finished: teams were making the site safe on Saturday afternoon and preparing to begin excavation before carrying out the permanent repair.
“The network remains stable, and we’re pleased to confirm that all customers continue to have water supplies, with no further widespread service interruptions reported since the damaged main was isolated,” Thames Water said. “Given the scale and complexity of the repair, our teams will be working extended hours over the coming days to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible. Additional resources remain on site to support the response.”
Traffic and travel around Hook Road
Traffic management remains in place around the work site while repairs continue, and drivers travelling through the area have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys and follow signed diversion routes. Hook Road is a busy route through Chessington, carrying traffic towards the A3, so any closure or narrowing there is felt quickly by local drivers and bus passengers.
Thames Water has apologised for the disruption and thanked customers for their patience. A further update is expected by 10am on Sunday.
What we know — and what we don’t
What is confirmed is the shape of the day: a burst on Hook Road on Saturday morning, a period of low pressure or no water for some KT9 customers, supplies restored by early afternoon, and flooding to a number of garages and vehicles that only became fully clear later in the day. The permanent repair is still to come, with extended working hours promised because of what the company calls the scale and complexity of the work.
What has not been shared is just as important. Thames Water has not said how many garages or vehicles were flooded, has not given a cause for the burst, and has not put a completion date on the permanent repair. Residents waiting on loss adjusters will also want to know how claims for damaged vehicles and belongings will be handled, and that detail has not yet been published either. This article will be updated when the company’s Sunday-morning update lands.
For anyone affected, the practical steps are straightforward: keep an eye on Thames Water’s updates, allow extra time if driving through Hook Road, and contact the company directly if your supply or property has been hit. Similar bursts elsewhere in London show how disruptive these repairs can be — a burst main on the A409 in Harrow shut the road both ways, while Thames Water’s “complex” repairs in Dulwich required extensive digging, and a mains replacement in Sidcup brought months of closures. Chessington residents will be hoping their repair is measured in days, not months.
