Water Outage London: Full Postcode List and What to Do
A burst main has cut water to 18 postcodes across five London boroughs and two Surrey districts. The full list, school closures, and what you should do now.
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A large burst water main has cut supply or reduced pressure across 18 postcodes in south-west London and Surrey, affecting Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth, along with Elmbridge and Spelthorne. The affected postcodes are CR4, KT1, KT2, KT3, KT5, KT6, KT7, KT8, KT10, KT12, SM4, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW19, SW20, TW10 and TW16. The burst was leaking at around 750 litres a second from about 6.30am, several schools have closed, and supermarkets are rationing bottled water. Thames Water has rerouted supply to some areas but says the repair will take some time.
The affected postcodes
CR4 · KT1 · KT2 · KT3 · KT5 · KT6 · KT7 · KT8 · KT10 · KT12 · SM4 · SW16 · SW17 · SW18 · SW19 · SW20 · TW10 · TW16
Covering the London boroughs of Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth, and the Surrey districts of Elmbridge and Spelthorne.
Thames Water updates this list as the situation changes, so check thameswater.co.uk for the current position before assuming your area is clear.
What to do right now
Fill containers if you still have any pressure. Even reduced flow is worth using. Fill the bath, pans, bottles, kettles. Water for flushing does not need to be drinking quality.
Do not run taps to check. Every household running taps at once slows the recovery when supply is rerouted, and you may draw sediment through your own pipework.
Turn off appliances that use water. Washing machines and dishwashers can be damaged if they start a cycle with no supply, and a dishwasher left switched on will try to fill the moment pressure returns.
Check on your neighbours. Particularly anyone elderly, living alone, or with a new baby. This is the practical version of the point below.
Schools are forced to close as thousands hit by major water outage in UK https://t.co/7unP2tnP5K
— The Sun (@TheSun) September 28, 2026
If you are elderly, disabled or have a baby, register now
This is the most useful thing on this page and almost nobody mentions it during an outage.
Thames Water, like every water company in England and Wales, operates a Priority Services Register. It is free, and it is for customers who may need extra help people who are elderly, have a disability, rely on medical equipment that needs water or electricity, have a serious illness, are blind or deaf, have young children or a new baby, or have a mental health condition.
Customers on the register are prioritised for bottled water deliveries during incidents like this one, rather than having to reach a collection point themselves.
You do not have to have signed up in advance. You can join during an incident, and you can join on behalf of a relative or a neighbour who would qualify. It takes a few minutes on the Thames Water website or by phone.
If you know someone in the affected postcodes who would struggle to carry water home from a supermarket, this is the single most useful thing you can do for them this morning.
Which schools have closed
Confirmed closures so far include:
- Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School
- Thames Ditton Infant School
- Esher Sixth Form and College
- Holy Cross School, New Malden
More closures are possible. Schools cannot legally open without running water for toilets and handwashing, so any school in the affected postcodes may close at short notice. Check your school's website, app or text alerts directly rather than relying on a list, which will lag behind.
What Thames Water has said
The company initially reported an issue before confirming it was dealing with a large burst water main.
"Sorry if your tap water isn't running at the moment. We're dealing with a large burst water main which is affecting the water supply to the wider area," Thames Water said.
It has since said: "Our specialist team is now on site and working to stop the water flooding from the broken pipe. We've rerouted water around the area and customers in the Surbiton area should begin to see their water return shortly, the pressure may be lower than normal, but this will return once we've fixed the broken pipe."
The company has warned the repair is likely to take some time, and said updates would be posted on thameswater.co.uk.
The scale of it
Monica Harding, the Liberal Democrat MP for Esher and Walton, said she understood the burst was leaking at a rate of 750 litres of water a second at around 6.30am.
To put that in ordinary terms, that is roughly the contents of nine bathtubs draining away every second.
Harding said she was pushing for an urgent response and noted this was the second major incident in three months to disrupt residents of Esher and Walton. She said that once supply was restored she would press Thames Water for a full explanation of why it keeps happening and what the company is doing to prevent it.
Councillor Steve Bax of Molesey reported that supplies were being rationed at a local supermarket. At least one supermarket has sold out of bottled water entirely, with residents queuing outside.
When supply comes back, do this
Water returning is not the end of it, and a few minutes of care avoids the most common problems.
Expect discoloured water. Brown, orange or cloudy water after a burst main is normal. It is sediment disturbed in the pipes, and air in the system causes the white cloudiness that clears from the bottom of a glass upwards.
Run the cold kitchen tap slowly until it runs clear. Slowly matters a fully open tap draws more sediment through. Do not run every tap in the house at once.
Do not use hot water until the cold runs clear, or you will draw discoloured water into your hot water tank.
Wait before using appliances. Do not run a washing machine or dishwasher until the cold water is clear and pressure feels normal. Discoloured water can stain laundry, and low pressure can damage the machines.
Do not drink or cook with discoloured water. Wait until it runs clear.
If water remains discoloured after running the tap for a while, contact Thames Water rather than continuing.
Can you claim compensation?
Possibly. Water companies in England and Wales operate under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, a regulatory framework that requires them to make payments to customers when supply is interrupted beyond set periods, or when they fail to meet certain service standards.
The qualifying periods and payment amounts are set out by Ofwat and applied by each company, and they differ depending on the type of incident and the length of the interruption. Payments are sometimes made automatically and sometimes have to be claimed.
Given that, the practical advice is:
Record what happened. Note the time your supply went off, when it returned, and photograph any damage or costs you incur, including bottled water receipts.
Check Thames Water's compensation page once the incident is resolved, and ask directly whether a payment applies to you rather than waiting to see if one arrives.
Contact the Consumer Council for Water if you are unhappy with the response. It is the independent body representing water customers in England and Wales, and its help is free.
This article does not attempt to state the current payment figures, because they change and vary by incident type. Ask Thames Water or check Ofwat's published standards for the applicable amount.
Why this keeps happening
The wider question sitting behind this morning is infrastructure.
London's water network includes some of the oldest mains in the country, much of it Victorian, carrying water under pressure through ground that shifts with temperature and traffic. Burst mains are a persistent feature of the system rather than freak events, and south London in particular has seen repeated significant incidents over the past decade, including major outages in Streatham that left residents without running water for days and drew formal condemnation from Lambeth councillors.
Harding's point that this is the second major incident in three months in her constituency, is the one likely to generate political pressure once supply is restored.
What to watch
Thames Water's postcode list, which is updated as areas are restored or added.
Bottled water stations. Thames Water typically opens collection points during incidents of this scale. Locations are announced on its website and social media.
Whether more schools close tomorrow if the repair runs long.
The restoration timeline. Thames Water has said only that the repair will take some time. Surbiton is expected to see supply first.
Questions readers ask
Which postcodes are affected by the water outage?
Thames Water has listed CR4, KT1, KT2, KT3, KT5, KT6, KT7, KT8, KT10, KT12, SM4, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW19, SW20, TW10 and TW16. These cover the London boroughs of Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth, and the Surrey districts of Elmbridge and Spelthorne. The list is updated as the situation changes, so check thameswater.co.uk for the current position.
What caused the outage?
A large burst water main. Monica Harding, MP for Esher and Walton, said she understood the burst was leaking at a rate of around 750 litres of water a second at about 6.30am. Thames Water has said a specialist team is on site working to stop water flooding from the broken pipe.
When will my water come back on?
Thames Water has not given a restoration time and has said the repair is likely to take some time. It has rerouted water around the area, and customers in the Surbiton area were expected to see supply return first, at lower pressure than normal until the pipe is fixed.
Which schools have closed?
Confirmed closures include Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School, Thames Ditton Infant School, Esher Sixth Form and College, and Holy Cross School in New Malden. More closures are possible, as schools cannot open without running water for toilets and handwashing. Check directly with your school rather than relying on a published list.
What is the Priority Services Register?
A free register operated by water companies for customers who may need extra help, including people who are elderly, have a disability, rely on medical equipment, have a serious illness, are blind or deaf, have young children or a new baby, or have a mental health condition. Customers on the register are prioritised for bottled water deliveries during supply incidents. You can join during an incident rather than only in advance, and you can register on behalf of a relative or neighbour.
My water has come back but it is brown. Is that normal?
Yes. Discoloured water after a burst main is caused by sediment disturbed in the pipes, and cloudiness is usually air in the system, which clears from the bottom of a glass upwards. Run the cold kitchen tap slowly until it runs clear, avoid running every tap at once, and do not use hot water until the cold runs clear, to avoid drawing discoloured water into your hot water tank. Do not drink or cook with discoloured water. If it does not clear, contact Thames Water.
Can I claim compensation for the water outage?
Possibly. Water companies in England and Wales operate under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, which requires payments to customers when supply is interrupted beyond set periods. The qualifying periods and amounts are set by Ofwat and vary by incident type and duration, and payments are sometimes automatic and sometimes must be claimed. Record when your supply went off and returned, keep receipts for costs such as bottled water, and check Thames Water's compensation page once the incident is resolved. The Consumer Council for Water can help free of charge if you are unhappy with the response.
