Businesses left one metre under water last week
Thames Water’s insurers are facing a £4m bill after the firm accepted liability for the damage caused by a burst water main.
About 36 properties in Herne Hill, south London, were flooded on Wednesday when a 3ft-wide water pipe burst. Water rose to one metre above street level, flooding residential properties and businesses.
Damaged businesses include the listed Half Moon Lane pub, where the cellar filled up with 60,000 litres of water. The pub’s management said yesterday that it expected to stay closed for at least another 10 days. “Because of the building’s listed status, there are numerous consultants, specialists and at the very least English Heritage who have to come out and survey the damage and agree the drying out strategy,” they said.
A Thames Water spokesman said: “If our pipe has burst and caused damage, then it’s our responsibility to put things right.”
No comments yet