Burst pipe leads to temporary charity closure

A charity had to temporarily close earlier after it lost its water supply due to a burst pipe.

Westbank Community Health and Care, which supports vulnerable people in Exminster, Devon, had to clear its fridges, cancel cookery lessons and close its gym and nursery facilities.

Westbank's Sarah Hicks said she hoped "very little" food would go to waste but said the community organisation had suffered a "major disruption".

South West Water said it was dealing with a complex burst main in the EX5 area and had deployed tankers to support the water network while it was repaired. It later confirmed "the majority of supplies" affected had been restored and thanked locals for their patience.

As well as food services, Westbank provides childcare for 30 families via its nursery, preschool and after school wrap around care services.

All of those services had to be cancelled earlier.

Katie Elliot, from the charity, said: "It's not safe to have children here when there is no running water and the impact on the families who ask us to look after their children is significant on a day like today."

The area's water supply is fed by the Wimbleball Reservoir, which recent figures show is at just 14.9% capacity and in a severe drought area.

In an update for customers, South West Water thanked customers for their patience while it continued "urgent repair work" in the Exminster area.

It said: "We have made some adjustments to our network and are pleased to confirm that the majority of supplies in your area are now restored."

The company added that residents who find discolouration in their water should run their kitchen tap "for up to an hour to help it clear".

"The brown or yellow appearance is caused by the disturbance of natural sediments that can build up over time within the main," it added.

"These are generally associated with metals such as iron and manganese and while not harmful, we fully understand that you may not want to drink the water due to the discoloration."

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