Overview

• Storm Ciaran has caused significant issues at the Shalford water treatment plant, leading to major water shortages and forcing approximately 20,000 residents in Surrey to depend on bottled water supplies.
• This calamity has prompted Surrey County Council to declare a major incident, with businesses temporarily closing and potential school closures anticipated if the issue is not timely resolved.
• In response to this, Thames Water, which supplies the area, has been working tirelessly to restore the water supply. They have set up emergency bottled water stations and deployed a fleet of tankers to pump water into the local pipe system.
• Residents have reported challenges of accessing the water collection points and receiving clear responses from Thames Water. Supermarkets have faced supply issues due to residents rushing to buy bottled water.
• The storm's aftermath also saw prolonged and severe power cuts, affecting approximately 150,000 homes, with further rainfall and potential flooding expected across various parts of England.