United Utilities has apologised for the disruption caused by a burst pipe, while confirming it is still unknown what caused it over the weekend.
Parts of Sefton and North Liverpool were left for almost two days without water as workmen were forced to dig up a large chunk of Church Road after the main road was flooded on Saturday morning. During the weekend of chaos, MP Bill Esterson took aim at the water provider as he urged the company to take help offered by Sefton Council.
United Utilities has now confirmed that throughout the weekend four bottled water distribution locations were provisionally offered by the council, one was used, two were inaccessible due to the burst and the fourth was too close to the first location, according to the company. A further two locations were then identified and used.
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The three locations used were Sainsbury's in Crosby, Netherton Activity Centre and Tesco on Hawthorne Road. During a tactical coordination meeting on Sunday, the council suggested more locations but United Utilities has said it was agreed between partners that these weren't needed due to the repair being close to completion and water being restored in the coming hours.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “Throughout the weekend we worked closely with Sefton Borough Council to ensure we could offer bottled water to those impacted by the incident. Not all customers were without water from their taps as we used our fleet of tankers to keep water flowing through the network.
“Over the weekend we handed out 120,000 bottles of water and our Priority Service customers and nursing homes were provided with 10,000 bottles of water. We sent 285,000 messages to customers to keep them updated and posted updates on our website and social media channels.
“We offer our sincere apologies for the disruption, thank everyone for their patience and would especially like to pay tribute to Sefton Borough Council and to the Police for their support throughout this incident.”
A spokesperson for Sefton Council: “While the Council is not responsible for the management or repair of the incident, the Council did provide additional support to United Utilities throughout the weekend and continue to support with traffic management until affected roads are reopened.
“As a local authority, our first concern is always looking after our residents, and joining up with multiple partner agencies was the most effective way of working.
“Council officers worked closely with NHS and Social Care colleagues to ensure vulnerable residents were being prioritised and supported. On Sunday afternoon, Council officers delivered approx. 1,800 litres of water between care homes and 200 litres to vulnerable residents.
“The Council did offer support with locations for water distribution centres if they were required by United Utilities. United Utilities have confirmed that automatic reimbursements will be made to both residents and businesses who have been affected by the water mains burst.”
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