Thousands of homes left without water

Thames Water confirmed that 1,500 properties in Mortimer and Burghfield were without water yesterday (Wednesday), after a fault with a booster pump.
Last Wednesday 4,000 homes and a number of schools had their water supply cut following another problem with Thames Water’s booster pump.
Spokesman for the water firm, Craig Rance said: “We received calls around 7am yesterday morning telling us that homes in Mortimer and Burghfield were without water. This was due to the electrics on our booster pump tripping. We fixed the problem and restored water to the network just before 8am.
“We're really sorry that for the inconvenience and are disappointed that this has happened twice in a week.
“Burghfield Water Tower normally acts as a back up, but has been undergoing routine maintenance. We hope to have the tower back in service this weekend so if issues like this happen again in future, the residents of Mortimer and the surrounding area won't notice an interruption to their supply.”
None of the schools in Mortimer or Burghfield had to close yesterday, but last Wednesday St John's Infant School and St Mary's Junior School, both in Mortimer, both had to close for the day due to water shortages.