Burst water main causes mayhem

3:45pm Thursday 17th July 2008

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Traffic chaos and a burst water main, which left nearly 40 homes without water for 12 hours, has sparked renewed calls for a bypass.

Homes and businesses in Head Street and Sudbury Road, Halstead, suffered "massive inconvenience" when water pushed the road surface up by six inches, burst out and gushed into gardens.

About 36 properties in Head Street and Sudbury Road had their water supply cut off.

Home owners first noticed water leaking into their driveways at about 9.45am on Tuesday.

A rottweiler and a cat were being operated on at The Forge Veterinary Centre, Head Street, when the water was cut off.

Luckily, the centre's hot water tank had plenty of reserve water and vets had filled up emergency buckets and bowls with cold water.

Steve Knight, whose home is next to the burst water main, said:"It has caused massive inconvience. This morning the traffic was chaos.

"If we had the bypass eight years ago we wouldn't have all these problems."

Malcolm Swainsbury, member of Halstead and District Anti Bypass group, said: "To say we need a bypass is a knee jerk reaction."

Anglia Water spokeswoman Kerry O'Brien said: "Water was back on at about 11.30pm. "