Calls were made for Thames Water to swiftly compensate business owners and householders left without water for days.
A 24-inch water main burst on Tuesday morning, (October 4) flooding parts of the ring road near Heyford Hill and leaving thousands of homes from east Oxford to Thame without water.
The A4142 eastbound near Heyford Hill at Littlemore has reopened today (Sunday, October 9) following the Thames Water burst water main from early last week.
The company says it will credit residential customers with £30 compensation for every 12 hour period the water was turned off, with accounts ‘automatically credited’ within 20 working days.
The main was said to have been repaired on Thursday. Despite claims on Saturday morning that all homes now had water, residents in parts of Wheatley and Horspath were among those saying their supply was yet to return.
Among them was owner of Wheatley bar and café The Sun. Gary Witchalls lost two days’ worth of bookings when the restaurant was left without water on Wednesday and Thursday.
By Saturday morning, the restaurant was again busy with customers after a weekend treat. But a few streets away, Mr Witchalls was still without running water in his own home.
He estimates that the disruption caused by the lack of water has cost the business ‘a couple’ of thousand pounds.
“It’s just had a huge impact on us, as it has for everyone,” Mr Witchalls said.
“Thames Water needs to find a quick and simple way of providing compensation not only to residents but to businesses.
“When I’ve looked at their website, the hoops that you’ve got to jump through. I’ve scanned it and they’re going to want two years of profit and loss accounts.
“We lost the water instantly, yet they’re the complete opposite of instant when it comes to providing any sort of compensation to businesses at least.”
In neighbouring Horspath, smallholder Rachel Adams, 58, spoke to the Oxford Mail as she headed out to a bottle station at the Cowley Tesco – looking for water for her pot-bellied pig Primrose and flock of poultry and ducks.
“We’re all pretty angry. We want it fixed. We cannot go another day,” she said.
“The ducks need paddling pools and pigs they’re not very good when they’re drinking. They tend to up-end the bowl.”
Eddie McDowall, from Garsington, criticised the water company’s communication to customers. "They didn't seem to have a plan. If they did have a plan they didn't put it into operation. I thought, for such a critical incident, that was a huge failing for - effectively - an infrastructure organisation."
Cllr Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council representative for Wheatley, said: “It’s astonishing what a dramatic effect the loss of water has had, not just on Wheatley but the surrounding villages which have been off for a considerable amount of time.
“What we want, essentially, is answers. What caused this? Why did it happen? What is Thames Water going to do to compensate and ensure this doesn’t happen again?”
His comments were echoed by Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds. She said: “It’s important that if compensation is going to be made available to local people following disruption to their water supply, this is easy to access and provided quickly.”
The MP called for Thames Water to urgently address its ‘lack of investment in our water infrastructure’.
"Given that it came only weeks after the Littlemore leak and the immense disruption that’s been caused, we really can’t have yet another such leak in the future and preventing this surely must be the priority,” she added.
Thames Water was approached for comment.
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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward
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