Schools, homes and businesses left without water after burst in Wigan borough

The incident on Nel Pan Lane in Leigh on Friday left many properties without water or with low pressure.

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the recent issues with pipe bursts on Nel Pan Lane.

“Engineers have identified a technical issue on the water network in the area and are making the necessary changes to return the flow of water back to normal.

“In the meantime, the contingency measures we’ve put in place are making sure that customers can continue to use their water supply as normal and we are also using our water-on-wheels tankers to help keep supplies on tap.

“The repair to the damaged water main is currently ongoing and we thank local people for their patience during this time.

“To offer further reassurance, over the bank-holiday weekend our engineers will be monitoring the performance of the network to help minimise the risk of any further issues.”

Several schools were unable to open on Friday due to the lack of water.

Cath Pealing, Wigan Council’s director of education, said: “We are aware that a number of schools have had to close this morning due to an issue with water supply in Leigh.

“Children who have been affected by the closure will be offered online or home learning and we are working with headteachers and schools to provide additional support where needed.

“Council teams are in contact with United Utilities and are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that children can return to school as soon as it is safe to do so.”