Broken water pipe: “A full investigation is planned to identify what resulted in the burst”
A water pipe from 1901 burst on Pollokshaws Road, leaving 6,500 homes in Glasgow without water for over 24 hours. Over a week later, some parts of Victoria Road continue to be affected by the issue while Scottish Water works to resolve the issue.
Damaged Pollokshaws Road being repaired last week
Words and image by Samar Jamal
A 27-inch burst water pipe on Pollokshaws Road turned the thoroughfare into a miniature flood zone, leaving 6500 homes in the G41, G42, G43 and G44 area without water for more than a day. The ruptured water pipe, reported around 4:30pm on Saturday, 1 February, flooded the area, forced shops to close and turned their efforts to brushing water away from their businesses.
The following afternoon, Scottish Water, the country's national water supplier, had utilised their other networks to redirect the water, repaired the broken pipe and restored water supply to all homes that were affected.
While road repairs were ongoing at Pollokshaws Road, which remained closed until late last week, the burst pipe compromised other areas, including the city centre and the Southside, leading some residents without water again.
The Scottish Water’s live map highlighted two areas in the Southside that were being investigated for water loss supply. This included a section on St Andrews Road, which has now been resolved, and Victoria Road, which the water company is working to resolve.
Scottish Water commented that whilst the burst water main on Pollokshaws Road was from 1901, it’s a testament of how resilient their water infrastructure is and it’s uncommon for one of their large diameter water mains to burst in Glasgow. They added that they “regularly carry out frequent checks to ensure that infrastructure is fit for the future and make necessary upgrades and improvements when necessary.”
A full investigation is planned to identify what resulted in the burst and what improvements they can make in the future.
If you see a burst pipe, leak, or water rising from Scottish Water infrastructure, report it immediately by calling Scottish Water’s 24/7 Customer Helpline at 0800 077 8778 or using their online reporting tool at www.scottishwater.co.uk. Providing details like the location, severity, and any visible damage will help Scottish Water respond quickly, and their teams will investigate and carry out repairs as soon as possible to minimise disruption.