News RSS Feed


Send us your news!


Updated: Burst pipe closes college

6:06am Wednesday 19th September 2007

comment Comments (4)   Have your say »


SOUTH East Essex College was forced to close and dozens of homes lost their water supplies after council contractors burst a main pipe.

W&H Roads is working to partly pedestrianise Elmer Approach, Southend, as part of a University of Essex-funded scheme.

Early yesterday, the contractors pierced a water pipe with a digger. As a result, South East Essex College's supply had to be switched off and students were told to go home. A total of 54 homes were without water for most of the day.

One passer-by, who saw the burst pipe, said: "It was like a river. The water was gushing down both sides of the road and on to the High Street.

"I jumped over it and it must have been about two feet wide." Dean Newman, spokesman for South East Essex College, said the college had no choice but to send students home.

He said: "We had been advised by the water board there was an external burst water main which was affecting the water supply into our Luker Road building, its Queens Road studio site and Extreme Studio.

"Due to this, the water supply was switched off for the remainder of the day, as a precautionary measure. Once the main has been repaired, we will need to allow the system to be flushed through.

"From a health and safety point of view, this meant the college had to close to both day and evening students, although the East Street Centre was fully operational."

Contemporary music student Marshall Gregory was celebrating his 18th birthday when he was given the day off.

He said: "We were all in the music studio when one of the top people at the college said it had to be closed.

"It was fine with me. It was my birthday, so it was quite nice."

Jacqueline Searle, spokesman for Essex and Suffolk Water, said the company tried to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

She said: "It arose from the contractors working in Elmer Approach.

"We are fixing the problem and the company will be billed."

Southend Council spokesman Michael Smith confirmed contractor W&H Roads had been carrying out the work.

He said: "Work is being carried out on a paving scheme which means the area will be partly pedestrianised."


Your Say YourEcho

Guy, Leigh-On-Sea says...
4:27pm Tue 18 Sep 07

Once again careless workmen are causing damage to utility services, how many more times are they going to do this?

Vikki, Rochford says...
9:58pm Tue 18 Sep 07

What this article fails to mention is that although the students were sent home and the college closed, the nursery within the college managed to stay open using provisions made eg. Bottled water and alcohol gel to wash hands!! No-one in there was affected and all the children loved the priviledge of using the gel and drinking 'special water'!! Bless them!!! x

Sean sweeney, southend says...
11:48am Wed 19 Sep 07

im a student at south east essex college and we all loved the fact we ad most of the day off! so wooooooo go bolditalic on the workmen! lol

Joker7, says...
10:00am Thu 20 Sep 07

Guy wrote:
Once again careless workmen are causing damage to utility services, how many more times are they going to do this?
Not aways the works-more like the "Essex and Suffolk Water" not making the pipe run and bad plans of where the pipe work runs............

It's not aways the poor chap diging the hole.

Comments are closed on this article.

Local Advertisers


Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »