Stannington gas incident: Cadent says supplies could take days to restore
Video courtesy of Danielle Sapsed-Byrne
Engineers say it could be several days before some residents regain their gas supply after more than 1,000 homes were affected by flooded pipes in South Yorkshire.
Gas company Cadent said around 1,200 properties had been cut off after a burst main left the gas network in Stannington and Hillsborough, in Sheffield, inundated with water.
Videos posted on social media show water pouring through gas meters. Some residents reported water coming out of gas cookers.
The leak, which happened on Friday, has been stopped and around 200,000 litres of water have been pumped out of the network. But Cadent said it could be days before all homes get their supply back.
A spokesperson said "a large volume of water" remained in the pipes and engineers were working around the clock to resolve the problem.
They added: "We must remove every drop from the outside gas mains, as well as the pipes that go into each property, gas meters, boilers and appliances.
"This is both for safety and to remove risk of gas going off again due to water blocking the flow."
Engineers are having to turn off the supply to every affected property, before removing all the water.
The company said "the scale of task means this is not going to be a quick resolution. This is going to take some considerable time – days, not hours".
Further checks would be needed where water had got into your gas appliances, Cadent said. It said it was trying to protect those who were most vulnerable and people should only allow certified Gas Safe engineers into their home.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We apologise for the impact our burst water main in Stannington has had and understand how difficult it has been for those affected. The burst water main is now fixed and we’re continuing to work closely with Cadent to provide additional support in the area."
The company has also posted on social media a help line number and address of a customer centre in Stannington for anyone to visit who has been impacted by the incident.
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