Engineers find leak which caused water outage

A leak which left dozens of properties in Strood without water over Christmas has now been located.

Southern Water said it was working to repair the pipe but that 19 properties would still be without water on Saturday morning.

Electric cables close to the pipe meant the repair would be complex, the company said, adding that engineers had begun excavating around the damaged pipe after speaking to UK Power Networks (UKPN).

The disruption began on Monday when up to 1,000 properties experienced water supply issues, and 45 properties were affected on Christmas Day.

While repairs are taking place, an overland pipe will be installed to serve 12 properties, while the other seven affected properties will be served by a water tank from Saturday evening.

Southern Water said: "We have arranged further bottled water deliveries for our domestic customers still without water."

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, residents from 29 homes and 17 commercial properties were given access to Strood Leisure Centre for showers.

The company said that regular updates were available on its website.

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