Running water has finally been restored to two buildings housing over 600 people after more than 48 hours without consistent supply.
Residents of Box Makers Yard, near Temple Meads Station, lost their water supply on Wednesday morning forcing many to shower and use facilities at hotels, offices and friends houses. It was restored this afternoon after work from Bristol Water and the team at Box Makers Yard.
Bristol Water said in a statement that an internal filter in the building was blocked which resulted in the issue, but that has now been resolved after a team dug up the pavement near the buildings to ensure that there were no issues with the pipes.
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After a more than 48 hour ordeal, residents who spoke to Bristol Live have confirmed that their water supplies returned after lunch today following investigations by Bristol Water and Box Makers Yard. The supply to the building was initially turned off on Tuesday for work to take place in the area, which resulted in the building's water tanks emptying.
The tanks were not able to refill fast enough to supply all residents, meaning that by Wednesday morning, some flats did have some water, but most didn't. The water supply in the buildings was turned off for the entire day on Thursday to allow the tanks to refill, but after the supply was again switched on on Thursday evening, another problem was discovered and the water supply was not working.
Bristol Water then investigated the issue this morning (Friday) and discovered that an internal filter in the building was causing a blockage. That has now been cleared and the water tanks are refilling.
Residents have confirmed that their supply has returned, although they have been asked not to use "large amounts of water" to stop any further disruption. Bottled water has been delivered to the reception so that residents do have a supply.
Bristol Live has been told that residents have been offered £250 in compensation for the issues with the water supply, with one saying: "this is the first time Box Makers Yard has offered compensation for a fault".
In a statement, a Bristol Water spokesperson said: “After further checks of our supply network at Box Makers Yard, we’ve confirmed water is flowing as normal into the building. The fault appears to be an internal filter that was blocked, which was affecting the flow of water from our pipes.
"This has now been cleared and the water tank supplying the building is refilling. The water pumps will be turned on this afternoon and then supplies can gradually return to normal. We advise taking care not to all start using large amounts of water at once as this has the potential to further disrupt supplies, therefore the management company will be in contact with you to discuss the timescales to manage the demand. In the meantime, we have delivered additional bottled water supplies to the lobby.”
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