2500 Stonehouse homes affected by burst mains pipe

Dec 3 2009 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

UP to 2500 homes in the Stonehouse area suffered water supply problems on Monday after a mains pipe burst.

It happened on the A71 and led to the closure of the busy trunk route between the village and Strathaven.

Motorists using the road faced lengthy diversions.

It was hoped that the road would partially reopen today (Thursday) with temporary traffic controlling the flow of traffic.

The 450mm diameter Scottish Water pipe ruptured just outside Stonehouse, on a stretch of the A71 near to its junction with the Sandford road.

A spokesman for Scottish Water said: “We identified a burst water main near Wilson Place, Stonehouse, on Monday about 3pm.

By 6.45pm our team redirected water around the network and had restored the supply to customers.

“By 5.30am next day the burst main was repaired and the area cleared for reinstatement by South Lanarkshire Council roads department.”

About 2500 properties occupy the water service zone that was affected.

The zone includes Stonehouse and parts of Glassford and Larkhall.

A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “Because the water in the pipe was pressurised, it washed away everything in its path.

“Furthermore, there are other services running alongside the pipe, such as fibre optic cables, and they have had to be checked before the road can be reinstated.”

Although the road was open to residents living near the burst, through traffic was diverted VIA HAMILTON.

The council spokesman confirmed that they were carrying out the work and would bill Scottish Water for its cost.