31/07/2007

Tap Water Restored To More Flood-Hit Homes

Mains water supplies have now been restored to more than 70,000 homes in the flood-hit Gloucester area.

Severn Trent Water said that the programme of re-filling more than 1,200 miles of water pipes is continuing to make steady progress.

Engineers are now switching their attention to Cheltenham and neighbouring areas such as Brockworth, Upton, Matson and Fox Elms. Severn Trent Water said that it is hoped that these areas will be reconnected within the next 24 hours.

Martin Kane, Severn Trent's director of customer services, said: "We understand people still without water are anxious to learn when their water is coming back on, but it's very difficult to give exact timescales and specific locations. We are aiming to have 80% of homes back on supply within 24 hours.

"We must remind customers that when water is restored, it must not be used for drinking, even after boiling. It's perfectly safe to use for showering, bathing, flushing toilets and washing clothes."

Severn Trent Water said that drinking water would still be widely available from bowsers and bottled water distribution points.

Around 1,000 bowsers are still located across the area affected by the floods and Severn Trent Water said that five million litres of bottled water are available on a daily basis.

There are no longer any flood warnings in place and drier weather had been forecast for this week.

On Tuesday, it was also revealed that a body found in a flooded park in Tewkesbury is that of 19-year-old Mitchell Taylor, who had not been seen since leaving a bar on July 21.

An inquest into his death is due to open in Gloucester on Wednesday.

(KMcA/SP)

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