Water has started to return to more than 30,000 homes in East Sussex after a main burst three days ago.
Southern Water said in an update on Sunday afternoon that supplies were “gradually being restored” to about 32,5000 properties in St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings.
However, the company said 3,500 homes in the east of Hastings would lose supply temporarily from Sunday afternoon to preserve water for the area of the town including the hospital while the network was “recharged”.
It added that it expected supplies in these areas to return on Monday.
Southern Water said on Sunday afternoon: “This phased return of supplies to homes and businesses will see lower-lying areas and those nearest to Beauport coming back into supply first, with the remainder following as pressure increases in the pipes between now and tomorrow morning.
“Specifically, west and central areas of St Leonards-on-Sea, west Hastings and rural areas around Westfield should see supplies return gradually during the rest of Sunday.
“However, it will take longer for areas north of Hollington and east Hastings and rural areas east of Hastings to return to supply; we expect these to have supply from Monday morning.”
Four bottled-water stations have been set up and Southern Water has delivered bottled supplies to more than 6,000 customers on its priority services register. The company has also delivered water to vulnerable customers.
The burst main was repaired on Saturday and the network was being recharged but the service had to be “restarted”, Southern Water said. Schools, a leisure centre and a theatre in the area have been forced to close.
The company said the main was in Keeper’s Wood, near the A21, “deep in woodland”, which had made it difficult for crews and machinery to reach it.
The burst occurred on the same weekend as the annual four-day Jack in the Green festival and the May Day bike run, when thousands of people usually flock to the seaside town.
The East Sussex county councillor Godfrey Daniel said the impact on businesses in Hastings would be “drastic”.
A spokesperson for Southern Water said on Saturday the company was “deeply sorry” for the loss of supply and that it had been “working around the clock to not only fix the issue” but also to do all it could to help customers, especially those who were vulnerable.
Southern Water said households might notice a “temporary change in what comes out their taps” as water started to return, and that they should expect low water pressure and discoloured water.
