MORE than a thousand homes were left without water after a mains burst near a school.

People across Brighton said they endured more than 12 hours without water yesterday after a pipe “exploded like a geyser” in Ovingdean Road in the early hours of the morning.

But others – in Woodingdean, Ovingdean and Brighton Marina – claim they were left without water to drink, clean or flush the toilet for even longer.

The Argus:

One resident said they went to Asda at Brighton Marina to buy some water in the afternoon, but all the shelves were bare.

Southern Water then drafted in a lorry full of bottles to the supermarket’s car park, where they have been distributed “in a socially distanced way” yesterday and today.

People had to queue to receive the water from the truck.

Some people today still do not have access to water in their homes and many complained that vulnerable people could not get the bottled water delivered.

Southern Water said it was delivering directly to vulnerable customers on the Priority Service Register and asked others who need additional support to get in touch.

People who need this help should call 0330 3030277.

One Ovingdean resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “It has been 32 hours now that we have had no water.

“We need to use toilet but it hasn’t been flushed, don’t need to draw a picture there.

“We would have hoped that Southern Water would provide water for that.”

The problem started at 5am yesterday after a mains burst at the junction of Ovingdean Road and Falmer Road.

The Argus:

Homes were flooded and Longhill High School was shut after the water cascaded down the hill.

Firefighters pumped the water from the area as workers attempted to fix the issue.

Southern Water said it worked through the night to address the “complex repair”.

However other utilities in the area, including a large electricity cable, meant crews had to take extra care.

This afternoon, Southern Water said: “The ruptured section has now been dug out and the pipe repair should be complete in a few hours, which will mean we can start to recharge the network.

“Apologies for the disruption caused, it is a complicated repair with a 11,000 volt cable running through the site.”