Burst water main writes off three vehicles
BBCA burst pipe which sprayed water 30ft (9m) into the air in a residential street "sounded like a storm", a resident has said.
The water main burst on Luckley Road in Wokingham, Berkshire, on Saturday morning.
Several residents found chunks of tarmac, ripped from the road surface, had been propelled into the air and landed on their cars, causing them to be written off.
South East Water apologised for the disruption and damage caused by the burst. It has since been repaired and the road re-opened.
An electric car parked nearby had its sunroof shattered and windscreen smashed.
The torrent of water poured inside the car causing irreparable damage, according to its owner.
Another car had its back window and roof broken by flying debris.
One resident, who did not wish to be identified, explained she and her husband had woken up to see "a jet pounded at our house".
"It sounded like a storm as if hailstones were being pelted against the window," she said.
"We got up quickly, went outside and realised it was a burst water main in the road with a jet which was like 30ft high.
"It was coming out the middle of the road and it was pounding the houses.
"Obviously the road had cracked and had a big hole in it which, throughout the course of the morning, got bigger."
She said: "The water was coming out at speed, it was so high that it was just falling across the road into the houses.
"Some of the other neighbours couldn't get out of their house because, when they opened the front door, it was like going into a washing machine I imagine.
"The other element was it was so cold - it was minus five or six degrees so everything was freezing straight away. Frost and icicles were forming on the trees."
South East Water's regional network manager, Paul Mann, said: "We are aware of damage caused to three vehicles belonging to customers, and we are very sorry for this.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the community and would like to thank residents and motorists for their patience while we carried out this work."
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