Water firm 'extremely sorry' over burst pipe flood

A water company has said it is "extremely sorry" for the disruption caused by a burst pipe which led to flooding and forced people to evacuate their homes.

Repairs are under way on Prescot Road in Fairfield, Liverpool, after a water main burst on Wednesday evening, United Utilities (UU) said.

People on the neighbouring street, Elm Vale, were told to leave their properties and a reception centre was set up to provide shelter.

UU said some customers may notice changes in water pressure at busy times during the repair work or some temporary discolouration of their water.

The water firm said it had "isolated the burst" and "moved water around our network and will also be using our Water on Wheels tankers to top up supplies in the area".

"We are extremely sorry for the disruption caused by this major water main burst in Liverpool," a spokesperson added.

It said the temporary discolouration of the water was due to "using different routes through our network to keep water flowing to homes and businesses".

"If your water looks discoloured, don't worry - this can happen when natural sediments in the pipes are disturbed," a spokesperson said.

UU said customers whose properties had been damaged "as a direct result of the burst" would be compensated.

They thanked locals for "their patience, understanding and kindness" towards its workers.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said crews were alerted just after 17:30 BST.

A full evacuation of Tudor Court took place due to flood water in the basement.

MFRS said the council provided 16 tonnes of stone to assist with water diversions.

The leak had stopped by 23:22 and UU restored supplies by using the network to bypass the damaged pipe, it added.

There will be road closures and traffic disruption in the area while work takes place to carry out repairs.

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