A COUNCILLOR is calling for work to be halted at a development site after a damaged water main left a town without water.
On November 8, residents of Parkstone, Ashley Cross, Oakdale, Poole town centre, Lilliput, and Canford Cliffs were without water due to third-party damage to a water main.
Wessex Water confirmed the incident occurred at the former Park and Ride site in Creekmoor, resulting in residents either losing water entirely or experiencing low pressure.
The Echo understands the incident was caused by development by Cross Court Padel and a staff member told the Echo that workers were at the site on Saturday.
Cllr Judes Butt has expressed concerns about the ongoing development, stating that the exact location of underground utilities is uncertain, which could lead to further issues if groundwork continues.
Cllr Butt said: “It’s not known by any of the statutory authorities where the underground utilities are located.
“They don’t know where the gas mains or electricity cables are, and they clearly don’t seem to know where the water pipes are.
“Because there were no issues raised about what was underground, the developer went ahead in good faith.”
After the water main was damaged, the surrounding areas flooded, and thousands were left without water.
Cllr Butt said: “Thank goodness they hit a water main - what if it had been gas, and what if they go through an electricity pipe next time?
“I have written to the chief executive the, monitoring officer, and the head of planning and asked that we have a suspension of works.
“To me that is just common sense. Once they have a map of the utilities and know exactly where everything is, then development can continue.”
Wessex Water said its engineers managed to redirect the water around the network to bring customers back in supply.
This also allowed them to isolate the damaged section of water main and start carrying out a repair, which is currently ongoing.
A spokesperson for Wessex Water said: “The approximate location of our water mains on the site are shown on our plans and these are available to obtain as part of our free online service.
“If a Wessex Water asset is located within the boundary of a site or general working area, then a surveyor should always plot its exact location prior to any work commencing.
“Following what happened yesterday, we will do everything possible to ensure there is no further disruption to customers’ water supplies as a result of development work being carried out on the site.”
The Daily Echo approached Cross Court Padel and BCP Council for a comment but at the time of going to press neither had responded.
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