Cheam water crisis continues as south London residents face third day without supply

Efforts to fix the ongoing water supply issues caused by a fault at the Cheam Water Treatment Works are now in their third day. SES Water confirmed this morning, December 18, that significant progress has been made overnight, but some areas in south London continue to face disruptions. The fault, caused by a failure of a critical valve at the site, has restricted water flow to parts of the network since December 16.

While many residents saw water supplies return last night, those in KT17, KT19, KT4, SM6, SM1, SM3, SM4, and SM5 postcodes may still experience low water pressure or no supply today as the network stabilises. SES Water has urged customers to conserve water to help maintain the system's capacity while repairs are finalised. Storage levels remain low across the affected regions, which include Sutton, Carshalton, Morden, Cheam, North Cheam, Wallington, Hackbridge, Worcester Park, Epsom, Ewell, and South Croydon.



SES Water has set up four bottled water stations: Customers unable to visit these locations, especially those registered with the Priority Service Register, can arrange home deliveries by contacting SES Water directly at 01737 772000. Cheam High School announced its closure on December 18 due to health and safety concerns linked to the water crisis. The school confirmed the decision on social media, stating it would remain shut until the situation improves.

SES Water teams, alongside specialist partners, claim they have been working round the clock to address the issue. For urgent assistance or updates, SES Water’s customer contact centre remains operational 24/7 at 01737 772000. Further updates are expected later this morning as efforts to resolve the situation continue.

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