Water returns for most amid lengthy disruption

Bottled water stations had been set up for impacted customers

Water has returned to most properties after a treatment site fault impacted supplies to thousands of homes in Epsom and parts of south London.

The fault at SES Water's Cheam treatment works affected the water supply to an estimated 4,000 homes on Monday evening.

Some supplies started to return to normal on Tuesday morning, and at about 15:00 GMT on Thursday, SES Water said most supplies had returned.

SES Water added: "Some customers in high rise buildings in the Sutton area may experience lower than usual water pressure and we are working hard to restore this."

'Use water carefully'

As supplies began returning to normal, SES Water said it would be taking a phased approach to closing bottled water stations.

As of Thursday morning, the station at Bourne Hall in Ewell had closed, but the sites in Epsom's Upper High Street car park, Westcroft Leisure Centre in Carshalton, Cheam Library and St Paul's Church in Cheam remained open.

SES Water said: "Storage levels remain low, and we ask customers to use water carefully to help preserve the network's capacity."

The company explained that the fault on Monday required it to activate an alternative supply plan to mitigate interruptions, but high demand meant reserve levels were unable to maintain a normal supply.

Customers have been told they may notice a change in the appearance of their water.

SES Water added: "A reminder that when your water returns it may be cloudy, white, or discoloured and you may notice a change in smell.

"Please be assured that in most cases, this can be cleared by running the cold kitchen tap."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.