The following answer is current at 11:00 on Thursday, 26 July.
Flooding has rendered the Mythe water treatment works inoperable. Current estimates are that 140,000 premises are currently without tap water across the region and that it could take between seven and 14 days to restore services. It is estimated that 10,000 of these premises are in the Tewkesbury area.
A temporary solution has been devised by Severn Trent Water which will allow some water from the Strensham treatment works to be directed to the piped system serving Tewkesbury. Pumping is planned to start on 26 July and should build up to 20 megalitres a day. However, this supply will be intermittent and discoloured and customers will be advised that it should not be used for drinking. Customers that do get this water should continue to rely upon bottled water and, after boiling, water from bowsers for drinking purposes.
The priority is to increase the supply of drinking water. Across the region, over 900 water bowsers and tanks have been deployed. More are being obtained and the number is expected to increase to 1,800. Some 75 road tankers are filling the bowsers every day and more have been sourced. Bottled water distribution points have been set up and up to 5 million litres of water are being provided every day. A list of vulnerable people and isolated communities has been collated.
We understand few households are now lacking power. Emergency measures to prevent flooding of Walham electricity switching station have so far been successful in ensuring continued operation of this major component of the power supply system.