Hospital left without water after damage to main

Residents and a hospital were left without water in parts of Dorset after damage to a water main.

Wessex Water issued a warning of no water and low pressure in the Poole area and confirmed it was investigating.

After issuing a warning on its website, the firm said water supplies had been restored but works were ongoing to repair the main.

Poole Hospital confirmed it had an issue with its water supply, which has since been restored.

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Third-party damage to a water main left some customers without water or experiencing low pressure earlier.

“We have restored supplies by redirecting water around our network. The damaged section of pipework has been isolated and supplies will be unaffected by the repair work.

“We’re also working closely with Poole Hospital to ensure their water supply is maintained. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

A University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said their "number one priority" was maintaining the safety of patients, staff and visitors.

They said: "We immediately put in contingency plans to preserve water and worked closely with Wessex Water to ensure our hospital had further supplies of water, including via tankers.

"Mains water supply has now been restored, but we are continuing to monitor the situation closely and tankers have remained on site as a precaution."

MP Neil Duncan-Jordan posted on social media saying the problem should be fixed later on Friday evening.

He added: "Wessex Water advise to run your cold water kitchen tap for up to 30 to 40 minutes until the water runs clean again.

"As always, my team are on hand to support any constituents."

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.