Water ingress - Ashford TN24

Date:
15 Aug 2024

Saturday 17 August - 11.45am

Our engineers are back on site this morning restoring gas supplies and carrying out safety checks after water entered our network.

More than 150 properties have gas available once again and we're doing everything we can to get round and reconnect all remaining affected homes.

We are still struggling to access some properties where gas is available. If a card was left at your property, please call the contact number provided so we can rearrange for an engineer to visit. 

You will receive compensation for the time you were without your gas supply, as agreed with the energy regulator Ofgem. You will receive £70 compensation per household for each complete 24-hour period you had no gas. This compensation is paid through your supplier and will appear as a credit on your bill. There is no need to apply for this as it’s paid automatically. It usually takes four to five weeks for your compensation to be processed.

Finally, we would like to say thank you to all of those who have been affected by this emergency for your ongoing support and understanding.

This will be our last update here, but our customer service team is on site at the junction of Hythe Road and Star Road, or you can call us on 0800 912 1717 if you have any questions.

 

Friday 16 August - 8.45pm

We've removed more water from our gas pipes enabling us to safely begin reconnecting supplies. Our team of engineers will be working their way round the affected properties to carry out essential safety checks and reinstate supplies.

We've reconnected the gas supply to 40 properties so far and we'll be working late into the evening to restore as many as we can, before returning to complete the remainder tomorrow.

If you are out when our engineer calls, they will leave an information card at your property. Please call the number on this card to rearrange a visit.

For security reasons, you should always ask to see the identification card of anyone calling at your home. All our engineers carry a laminated identity card. If you are in any doubt, please refuse entry and seek assistance from a neighbour or relative, or call the telephone number on the identification card.

The road closures introduced so we could safely access our pipes and make the repairs remain in place. We'll be working to complete our repairs and reinstate around our work area as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding while we work to restore your supplies.

This will be our last update of the day and we will provide more information tomorrow morning.

 

Friday 16 August - 5pm

Our engineers have made great progress pumping the water out of our affected pipes. We've extracted approximately 1,000 litres of water so far and we're continuing to remove the remaining water which entered our network.

Gas supplies to the affected 225 properties will be able to be restored once all water has been extracted.

We understand it's not easy being without your gas supply. Portable electric appliances for cooking and heating can be obtained from our Customer Service team on 0800 912 1717 if you're elderly, disabled, chronically sick or have young children or other special needs. We've also arranged for affected residents with no access to hot water to use the washing and showering facilities at Stour Centre for washing in partnership with Ashford Borough Council. This leisure centre is located on Station Approach, Ashford, TN23 1ET, and is open until 10pm tonight and from 8am tomorrow morning. Please take your property address details with you when using facilities.

7.30PM UPDATE ON STOUR CENTRE: The police have closed Stour Centre due to unforeseen circumstances. It is expected to reopen at 8am on Saturday 17 August as normal.

A292 Hythe Road remains closed around our site. Motorists should follow the diversion route via the A292, A2070 Kennington Road, A28 Canterbury Road, A2042 Somerset Road and Mace Lane (and vice versa). Bus services are also affected by this closure. Please check with your provider for updates to services, routes and stop locations.

We'll provide an update on our progress again at 9PM.

 

Friday 16 August - 10.15am

We can confirm that the gas supply has been lost to 225 properties in the Gordon Close and surrounding area of Ashford.

Our engineers have been on site overnight and have now turned off everyone's gas supply at the meter. We also have specialist teams with a tanker working to remove the water.

We have also had to close Hythe Road from the Henwood Roundabout to the junction with Gordon Road to enable our response to this incident.

It is very important that you do not try to use gas while our engineers are dealing with this emergency.

Our customer service team is on site at the junction of Hythe Road and Star Road.

We're very sorry for the inconvenience which is being caused.

We understand some customers may be worried about the quality of their drinking water. We've been informed that there are no current issues however anyone who is concerned can contact South East Water.

A further update will be shared here at 5pm today.

 

Thursday 15 August - 10pm

We're aware gas supplies to several properties in Ashford have been affected as a result of water entering our network.

Our engineers are on site to establish the extent of the damage and remove the water from our pipes.

We're visiting all affected customers to turn off their gas supply at the meter for safety reasons.

Once gas is available again, our engineers will return to these properties to turn their gas back on and carry out checks. It's difficult to estimate exactly how long it will take to restore supplies at this time, but our engineers are working to do so as quickly as possible.

If you're elderly, disabled, chronically sick or have young children or other special needs, we have portable electric appliances for cooking and heating. These can be obtained by calling our 24-hour Customer Service team on 0800 912 1717.

We will be updating this webpage with additional information and on our progress.