Storm Ciaran Causes Major Water Shortage in Surrey, Forces Residents to Rely on Bottled Supply

Storm's impact on Shalford water treatment plant leaves nearly 20,000 Surrey residents without mains water, with further rainfall and potential flooding anticipated.

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.