RESIDENTS in Launceston were left without water for more than 24 hours this week, following an issue with South West Water’s network.

On the evening of March 2, local homes and businesses began to notice a drop in their water pressure, or in some places a lack of water supply all together. That evening, South West Water revealed that it had experienced “some damage” to one of its water mains and was in the process of repairing said damage.

Works took place overnight, with the region’s water supplier issuing a statement in the morning, as homes across the PL15 area continued to be left without a water supply.

A spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm that the majority of supplies have now been restored. The network is currently refilling, and our team will continue to work on site to restore the remainder of supplies as soon as possible.

“If you are still experiencing an interruption to your water supply, we will provide an update to you as soon as possible. Thank you again for your patience, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Following the statement, residents were hopeful that the water connection would soon be restored. However, as the day continued, schools and businesses were forced to close due to the health and safety implications of not having a steady supply.

One of the venues forced to close was Launceston College. After initially hoping for a delayed opening, the college announced that it would be closed for the day due to the ongoing issues.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Thank you for your patience this morning whilst we have been monitoring the school site.

“Unfortunately, we do not yet have reliable water pressure across the site and therefore we will be closed for today, Tuesday, March 3.”

As the day continued, South West Water provided an update, dampening resident’s hopes that this would only be a short outage.

The supplier confirmed that a water main was ‘damaged by a third party’. It confirmed its teams would be delivering bottled water to its vulnerable customers.

A spokesperson for South West Water told the Post at the time: “We are recharging our drinking water network after our teams worked through the night to repair a damaged water main in Trebartha which was damaged by a third party.

“This has to be done carefully to avoid damaging the pipes. This means, some customers may be experiencing a temporary loss of water supply or low pressure. We are delivering bottled water to our vulnerable customers and are in the process of setting up bottled water stations.”

The organisation also established two bottled water stations in an effort to provide some sort of water to residents. People were able to collect supplies from Martins Cash and Carry Site on Pennygillam Way and Trethorne Leisure Park at Kennards House.

As a result, traffic chaos was reported as households rushed to collect their share of the supply, having now been without water for nearly 24 hours.

During this time, residents who had running water also reported discolouration to their supply, something which South West Water said was ‘normally short lived following a burst or repairs’ but reassured residents that it was ‘fine to drink’.

After another night with a large portion of the town experiencing pressure loss or total lack of supply, South West Water finally confirmed that the ‘vast majority’ of local customers had their supply fully restored.

On the morning of March 4, the area’s water supplier stated that ‘the vast majority of customers in Launceston, Tregadillett and the surrounding areas now have their water supply fully restored’.

A spokesperson from the water supplier said: “A small number of customers may still be experiencing low pressure or a temporary loss of supply, but this is normal following this type of situation due to trapped air in the pipes. We would like to reassure our customers that this is only temporary and does not affect water quality. We will continue to keep customers updated."

Following the incident, North Cornwall’s MP, Ben Maguire (Lib Dem), visited one of the town’s bottled water stations. However, he reported being prevented from speaking and thanking workers, stating that they had ‘obviously been told not to speak to [him] by their bosses at South West Water’.

Commenting, the MP said: "It was deeply concerning to hear from residents in Launceston who have been left without water, and struggling to get clear information about what is happening from South West Water. I am particularly worried after my visit about vulnerable residents who have not been able to reach bottled water distribution points.

"I will be raising this directly with water bosses as a matter of urgency. This kind of disruption is completely unacceptable, and highlights the ongoing need for much greater investment in Cornwall’s water infrastructure, and fundamental reform of the entire system."

In response to Mr Maguire’s claims, a South West Water spokesperson said: “Our teams at the bottled water station were focused on distributing water to customers. Staff at operational sites don’t take part in filming or interviews as their priority is supporting customers.”

Cornwall Councillor for Launceston South, Damon Dennis, has also commented on the issue. He said: "For many households, taps ran dry for several days, creating obvious challenges for families and local traders alike. Shops, cafés and service providers reliant on running water had little choice but to suspend operations temporarily in order to comply with hygiene regulations.

"Amid the disruption, community resilience was clearly on display. The bottled water station at Martins Cash and Carry saw steady demand throughout the day and into the night, helping residents access essential supplies.

"While the outage caused understandable frustration and inconvenience, the response from local businesses, and residents demonstrated strong community spirit. As supply continues to stabilise and pressure returns to normal levels, there is a shared sense of relief and appreciation for the cooperation and patience shown during a challenging few days."