Burst pipe floods roads and cuts off water for 9,000 homes in Crawley

Thousands of homes in parts of Crawley were left without running water on Sunday morning after a large water pipe burst, with floodwater spreading across roads near one of the town's busiest roundabouts and forcing a number of routes to close.

Sussex Police said roads around the Southgate Roundabout were shut because of what officers described as a "significant" leak. The closures were put in place early on Sunday as crews and emergency services worked to bring the situation under control.

Water utility Southern Water said around 9,000 customers had been affected by the incident and that it was setting up bottled water stations to support residents who had lost supply or were experiencing low pressure. A company spokesperson said: "Our teams are on site and working as quickly and safely as possible to repair the burst and restore supplies."

The affected areas listed by the company were Woolborough Road, Holmcroft, Southgate, Tilgate and Furnace Green. In these streets and neighbourhoods, customers reported either a complete loss of water supply or a noticeable drop in pressure — the latter often being the first sign that a local main has failed and that water is being diverted to protect the wider network.

Maintaining pressure elsewhere is one of the reasons a burst of this kind does not always cause a total shutdown across a whole district. Reducing pressure in the immediate vicinity limits the volume of water escaping, but it also leaves households and businesses without a functioning supply until the damaged section is repaired and the network is refilled.

The Southern Water spokesperson added: "Restoring water to customers as quickly and possible remains our highest priority." The company said repair work was continuing through Sunday, with bottled water stations being established in the affected area as an interim measure for anyone who is unable to store enough drinking water at home.

Several key routes were affected, according to Southern Water. Southgate Avenue, Crawley Avenue and part of the A23 were all closed. The A23 is one of the principal roads linking the south coast to London, so its partial closure is likely to have disrupted commuting routes well beyond Crawley town centre, particularly at the start of a Sunday when many people are travelling.

Sussex Police asked that people avoid the area while emergency services manage the situation safely. Officers attending a flooding incident of this scale typically have to deal with both the water itself and the hazards it creates, including standing water on carriageways, damaged road surfaces and reduced visibility.

One man who witnessed the scene early on gave a vivid description of what he found. Martin Lawrence, who was making deliveries in the area at about 05:00 BST, told BBC Radio Sussex: "I came across this massive flood going across the road." He said there was "a large amount of water going from one side of the roundabout to the other and going into an underpass," adding: "I've never seen so much water in my life."

The account suggests the burst main was running at full pressure for some time before it was shut off, given the volume of water crossing the carriageway at first light. Water escaping from a pressurised main at that scale can quickly overwhelm drainage systems and force water into underpasses and low-lying sections of road.

Bottled water stations are a standard response when a water company is dealing with a widespread loss of supply. They are typically accompanied by advice to residents about drinking water, hygiene and, for households with vulnerable members, medical needs. Southern Water has also set up a dedicated page listing the loss of supply affecting Crawley, where updates and local information are published as the repair progresses.

The scale of the outage is notable for a town of Crawley's size. A figure of around 9,000 affected properties represents a substantial number of households and, given the area's mix of residential streets and commercial premises, is likely to have reached small businesses as well as home owners. Losses of this kind typically mean an interruption to washing, cooking, toilet use and heating, as well as the disruption of any business that relies on water to operate.

Crawley is also close to Gatwick Airport, and BBC News has previously reported water disruption linked to a burst main affecting the airport. The airport faced a water outage after a main burst, with reports of water returning to Gatwick following a major outage, as well as related coverage published in July. Those incidents are separate from Sunday's Crawley event, but they underline how vulnerable individual water mains in the area can be.

At the time of reporting, no restoration time had been given. Repair crews typically need to isolate the damaged section, excavate, replace the pipe and then gradually repressurise the network, with checks made to ensure the fix holds. Authorities said updates would be issued as the situation develops.

Residents affected are advised to avoid the closed roads around Southgate Roundabout, to follow any instructions from Southern Water about water use, and to take care when travelling through the area while floodwater subsides. The situation remains in the hands of engineers, with police maintaining road closures until the water has drained and the road surface is confirmed safe.