Sewer pipe burst closes school and floods drives

3 hours ago

Indy Almroth-WrightSouth of England

News image — The water company has apologised for disruption caused by the incident

Karl Love A white tanker truck is parked next to a green hedge. There is a row of cars on the opposite side of the road. There are orange cones behind the vehicle and a man wearing orange florescent overalls. There are pipes running from the read of the tanker. — The water company has apologised for disruption caused by the incident

A sewage pipe has burst and partially closed a primary school and flooded a road and the driveways and garages of several homes

Southern Water said the large pipe burst in the early hours on Millfield Avenue, East Cowes, Isle of Wight.

A nearby pumping station has been turned off to help prevent any further spills with hay bales and sandbags brought in to stem the deluge.

The water firm said tankers were also being used "to manage flows" while the repair was under way and residents could continue to use toilets, sinks and "other facilities" as normal.

Karl Love Road at night with brown water flowing along it and a road closure sign to the right. — Southern Water said hay bales and sandbags were being used after the burst on Millfield Avenue, East Cowes

Holy Cross Primary School on Millfield Avenue is closed to all but Year 6 pupils as they are sitting a SAT exam.

The school said once the exam had been completed the students would be leaving the school and staff would remain on site training.

The water firm said: "At this stage, we don't yet have a confirmed timescale for completing the repair.

"We understand this is disruptive, and we're sorry for the inconvenience caused to local residents and businesses, particularly due to increased vehicle movements and the road closure."