Temperatures are set to climb to 31C this afternoon
United Utilities are investigating the issue (Image: James Maloney/Lancs Live)
Residents in Newton Heath are suffering a water shortage this afternoon (Tuesday, June 23), forcing schools and nurseries to shut early as temperatures climb over 30 degrees Celsius.
United Utilities confirmed that there was an issue with no water or low water pressure in the M40 postcode beginning at 12:41pm today.
It comes just months after a huge sinkhole opened up in the area in February, leaving residents without water for more than 24 hours – and as the country swelters in a heatwave predicted to reach highs of 40C.
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The temperatures have prompted the Met Office issue a rare red ‘risk to life’ warning for the south of England – and an amber alert for Greater Manchester for Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Newton Heath resident Mike Becker said he first noted the issue at around 1pm, with ‘just a dribble’ coming out of the taps. “I contacted United Utilities to see if they knew about it – the last water outage on Briscoe Lane was massive,” he said.
“They said they would send a technician out but they didn’t know when it would be fixed and said no extra provisions would be available for vulnerable people. I’ve got young kids and I’m having to give my kids fizzy drinks.”
Mike later told the M.E.N that he had been informed by a neighbour that several schools in the area were forced to shut early, with parents called in to collect pupils. The MEN understands that at least one school in the area, All Saints C of E Primary School, closed early due to the shortage.
The Sure Start children’s centres in Collyhurst, Moston, Newton Heath and Miles Platting were also forced to shut this afternoon due to the disruption, they confirmed on Facebook.
On their emergencies portal, United Utilities wrote: “We’re currently investigating a problem in your area that may be causing no water or low water pressure. We’re really sorry for the inconvenience and are working as quickly as possible to get your taps flowing again.
“If your water looks discoloured, don’t worry – this can happen when natural sediments in the pipes are disturbed. You can find helpful advice on our discoloured water page.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation to make sure your supply returns to normal as soon as possible.”
When contacted for comment, a United Utilities spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that some customers in the M40 postcode may be experiencing low water pressure or no water.
“Our engineers are on their way to investigate what’s causing the issue, and we’ll do everything we can to restore supplies back to normal as quickly as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience while we resolve this.”