Burst water main postpones hospital operations

Operations have been postponed at a hospital in north London because of a burst water main.

Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield had no water supply to its operating theatres on Wednesday and had to rely on Thames Water water trucks to keep normal service running.

A hospital spokesperson said back-up water tanks were on site and the water supply was "expected to return to normal this afternoon". They said they were expecting planned operations to go ahead on Thursday as normal.

Thames Water said its teams were working "around the clock" to fix the "complex burst main" on Bramley Road that has left hundreds of households without water since Sunday.

A spokesperson said the company had set up two bottled water stations in the area.

"We know how disruptive it is to be without water and we'd like to thank customers for their patience while we carry out this complex repair," they added.

Chase Farm said its urgent treatment centre remains open and the service continues as normal.

"Routine operations have been postponed until the water supply returns to our theatres and we would like to thank patients for their understanding," it added.

The water shortage is affecting postcode areas including EN1, EN2, N14 and N21, leaving residents having to use bottled water for washing up, flushing the toilet and showering.

About 750 households have been experiencing shortages.

One nursery manager told the BBC of her frustration in having to close early.

"By 09:00 we had no water - we couldn't cook, use the dishwasher, wash our hands - nothing," Amelia Constanti, manager of Wolverton Park Nursery, said.

"If this goes on it's going to be really hard for the kids that were just settling in."

Extended closure would put "financial pressure" on the business, she added.

"I'm angry because the work only started yesterday (Tuesday) but it's been a problem since the weekend," she said.

"This comes at a huge financial cost - I'm praying it's only going to last a day."

In an update on its website, Thames Water said its teams had been "working around the clock to repair the burst and remain on site undertaking repairs and restoring supplies as quickly as possible".

Earlier it said "steady progress" was being made on replacing a section of broken pipe in Bramley Road, Cockfosters, which is affecting pressure and supply in the area.

It has opened two bottled water stations - in the Tesco Extra on Enfield High Street and in Highlands School - to support customers in the affected areas, and says normal service will resume by Friday.

"We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by customers and local residents while this work is carried out," the company added.

Thames Water has been hit with a series of problems in recent weeks.

Last week, households in east London and Essex had their supply restored after six days without water, due to a series of broken pipes.

In south London, a burst water main on Croydon Road has affected residents in the CR0, CR4, CR7, SW16 and SW19 postcodes.

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