Major Water Main Burst Hits West London Supply
Thousands affected after rupture under Holland Park Roundabout
The Thames Water Tower at the Holland Park Roundabout. Picture: Jim Linwood
January 23, 2026
A burst water main at the Holland Park Roundabout caused widespread disruption across west London on Wednesday 21 January, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without water or experiencing severely reduced pressure. Several schools were forced to close, and emergency crews worked through the early hours to contain significant flooding.
The incident, confirmed by Thames Water shortly before 4am, affected large parts of the city including Chiswick, Hammersmith, West Kensington, Ealing and surrounding areas. Postcodes initially impacted included W1H, W4, W6, W8, W11, W12, W13 and W14.
Local sources in Chiswick reported that Cavendish School, Grove Park School and Strand-on-the-Green School all closed due to the loss of water supply. Some residents noted that water pressure began to improve later in the day, though it took time to return to normal levels.
The Holland Park Roundabout is one of the most strategically important junctions in Thames Water’s west London network. It sits above a cluster of large-diameter trunk mains that feed water from west London reservoirs and treatment works toward central London. These mains act as high-capacity arteries, moving millions of litres of water each day, meaning a failure at this location can ripple across multiple boroughs at once.
The roundabout’s position at the intersection of major roads — Holland Park Avenue, West Cross Route and the Westway approach — also made access for repair teams challenging, requiring coordinated traffic management and emergency services support.
In its initial statement, Thames Water said: “Sorry if your tap water is not flowing right now. We are aware of a burst water pipe by Holland Park roundabout, W11. Our team are on site and have stopped the water flooding in the area. We are working with the fire services and police to keep everyone safe.” The company added that water supplies would begin returning gradually, though at lower pressure initially.
Residents across Chiswick, Shepherd’s Bush, Hammersmith and Ealing reported little or no water early in the morning, with some describing only a “trickle” from taps. Businesses preparing for the morning rush — including cafés, gyms and nurseries — were also affected.
Emergency works and flooding led to lane closures around the roundabout, with traffic controls put in place to protect the public and allow engineers to access the damaged main.
At 10:30am, Thames Water confirmed that the damaged pipe had been isolated and the original flooding stopped. However, engineers later identified additional flooding on Lorne Gardens, which appeared to be linked to the same burst.
The company said: “We know some customers are still experiencing issues and we’re working to restore services as quickly as possible. Others may notice lower water pressure initially, but this should improve as pressure builds in the pipes.”
At 1:30pm, Thames Water issued a further update confirming that the new flooding reports were not the result of a second burst, but were connected to the original failure. “Following further investigation, we can confirm that the flooding identified earlier is linked to the original burst water pipe near Holland Park roundabout, W11 and is not the result of a new burst.”
By 3:10pm, the company reported that it had managed to isolate the water main to bring the situation under control, though traffic management measures remained in place.
By 5pm, Thames Water said that recovery was continuing “although conditions remain changeable due to the complexity of the trunk main and associated valve arrangements.” It estimated that around 3,000 homes were still experiencing supply interruptions at that stage.
At 6:25pm, Thames Water confirmed that engineers had adjusted valves to help restore water supply. It warned that some customers might still notice low pressure as work continued, and that people living in high-rise buildings — particularly on upper floors — might have no water during busy periods. The company added: “We know how disruptive it is if you lose your water supply, so we’ll work hard to get things back to normal as soon as we can.”
Customers on the Priority Services Register received bottled water deliveries, and Thames Water advised anyone needing additional support to call 0800 316 9800.
The incident was raised in the House of Commons by Hammersmith and Chiswick MP Andy Slaughter, who told MPs: “Last night, a 30-inch water main burst at Holland Park roundabout on the boundary of my constituency and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe Powell). Homes and cars were flooded to a depth of 3 feet, and since the water was diverted away from the burst, thousands of residents across west London have had little or no fresh water, schools are closed and traffic is in chaos. This and hundreds of smaller bursts in the recent cold weather are the legacy of Thames Water’s failure over not years but decades.”
Bus routes 94 (Acton Green – Piccadilly Circus), 148 (Shepherd’s Bush – Camberwell Green) and 207 (White City – Hayes) were diverted during the disruption.
Thames Water issued further updates throughout the evening as supply gradually returned to most affected areas. Full restoration took time due to the complexity of the trunk main and the need to stabilise pressure across the network.
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