UPDATE: Burst water main at St Bernard's Avenue junction

The incident, at the junction of St Bernard’s Avenue and Monks’ Dyke Road, was first reported this morning.

A high volume of water has flowed into the road, and residents have voiced concerns that this water could freeze in the cold conditions and create a dangerous situation for motorists and pedestrians.

At 2pm today, Anglian Water spokesman Emma Staples told the Leader: “Unfortunately we have a burst on a four inch water main on Monks’ Dyke Road which is affecting properties in the area with low pressure.

“There has been a team investigating and working to repair things since this morning and having exposed the pipe, we expect to have the repair complete within the next hour or so.

“It will take a little while longer for the water pressure to fully build up again, but we are aiming to have things back to normal for customers this afternoon.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers today, and we’ll keep everyone updated via our website www.anglianwater.co.uk/inyourarea.

“When the water returns this afternoon it may look cloudy. This is just millions of tiny air bubbles, and running the tap for a few minutes should clear it. A glass of water left to stand should also gradually clear.”

Ms Staples added: “In terms of the cause, we will look at this once the repair is complete, but it’s most likely due to the freezing temperatures which can cause movement in the ground as the earth hardens. Sometimes this can be enough to cause a burst on a pipe under high pressure.

“For the same reason, at this time of year we recommend customers insulate their own water pipes at home to prevent bursts there.”