THAMES WATER says most Reading residents should find water supplies back to normal – and compensation would automatically be added to their accounts.
On Saturday, a problem at the Pangbourne Water Treatment Works meant residents across the RG1, RG8, RG30 and RG31 areas saw no water or low water pressure for several days.
While the firm says the initial problem was resolved the same day, an air lock in the system combined with a series of burst water mains, meant that low water pressure remained an issue until Wednesday.
Stations were set up initially in Calcot and Tilehurst, and then in east Reading, so that homes without access to water were able to take home bottles of water. It also made deliveries to customers on its Priority Service Register.
This led to politicians from across the parties to condemn Thames Water’s response, and the lack of communication to residents.
Although most homes and businesses are now back to normal, the firm says its team are working on some remaining issues in west Reading.
A Thames Water spokesperson told Reading Today: “Water pressure has continued to improve across the Reading, Pangbourne, Tilehurst and surrounding areas and most customers should now have normal water supply.
“We are responding to reports of low pressure in the Calcot area and have teams on the ground who are removing air locks and fixing leaks.
“We’d encourage any customers still experiencing low pressure or no water to contact us on 0800 316 9800.
“We expect water pressure to return to normal as we head into the weekend. Reservoir levels continue to increase following a technical issue at Pangbourne Water Treatment Works, which was resolved on Saturday, January 20.
“Our engineers have repaired over 50 bursts following the cold weather last week and are working 24/7 to find and fix leaks across the local area.”
Thames Water has a customer guarantee scheme, which follows Ofwat guidelines.
The spokesperson said: “We want to reassure customers that we’ll automatically credit their Thames Water account where they are eligible for compensation.
“This is calculated under our Customer Guarantee Scheme and is processed in 20 working days.”
On the lack of communication, with some priority customers saying they had not been contacted, and others being on hold for hours trying to report faults, the firm promised a thorough review.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We value our customers feedback and are taking onboard comments to improve our communications during evolving incidents.”
For more information on its guarantee scheme, log on to: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/performance/customer-commitment
