Thames Water issued a 'do not drink' warning after residents were left without water over the majority of the weekend. 

At around 4.30pm on Saturday, Thames Water was made aware of an issue in the SN5 postcode that stopped the water supply to homes in the GL7, SN2, SN4, SN5, SN6, and SN15 areas.

Residents reported having extremely low water pressure and some had no supply at all following this. 

Repairs continued into Sunday afternoon with Thames Water explaining that the location of the burst pipe was making access difficult.

The water network stated it had rerouted water from the network so that nearby residents could have their supply restored.

As of Monday morning, the repairs had been completed, but some SN4 and SN15 addresses may still be affected by low pressure from their taps.

At this time, Residents reported bad-tasting and discoloured water and some have even been advised not to drink it for the time being. 

In a message exchange between a resident and Thames Water that took place this morning and was shared online, a member of the public asked "Is the water safe to drink and use for baby formula?"

The Thames Water representative replied "It's not safe for the baby to drink the water," and further advised the resident to use bottled water. 

Another person said that they had spoken to Thames Water at roughly 10.15am who confirmed they were getting a 'high number of calls' regarding the taste and smell of the water coming out of their taps.

This member of the public said that Thames Water advised her that they were flushing the system through and recommended running a ground-floor cold tap in 'roughly an hour' for several minutes.

It was 'highly recommended' that they use bottled water in the meantime. 

But with work completed on the repair, the utility company has said that supplies should be getting back to normal. 

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "Our engineers have now completed the repairs on the burst pipe in Braydon Crossroads, SN5.

"We are continuing with our investigations as some customers are still experiencing low pressure or no water this morning.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing and thank you for your patience during this time.

"If you are noticing changes to your water, you can view our self-help pages www.thameswater.co.uk/help/after-an-incident-happens and www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-and-waste-help/water-quality/different-smell-or-taste"

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