Water supply at Whiteknights campus back to normal
Wednesday, 16 October 2019
The water supply at Whiteknights campus appears be normal this morning. There are a few local issues (air locks etc.) that are currently being dealt with by the Maintenance team, but we do not expect any buildings to be without water.
If you notice any problem in your building, please contact the Estates Help Desk on extension 7000.
Update at 7:00 pm (Tuesday 15 October): Thames Water has advised that its systems are back online and water supplies are returning to normal. While water pressure may be lower than usual this evening, we anticipate that all campus facilities will be open tomorrow, Wednesday 16 October, as normal.
Our Estates team will prioritise cleaning bathroom facilities first thing tomorrow, but please bear with us while our hard-working cleaning team catch up.
Should this situation change overnight, we will update you at the earliest possible opportunity through email, the Staff Portal and Twitter. You can also check the Thames Water website for updates.
Update at 3:45 pm (Tuesday 15 October): The latest update from Thames Water is that the issue has been partially resolved and we can expect supply to resume gradually. It will take some time for full pressure to return given the wide area of Reading affected, and supply is likely to return progressively from the ground floor of buildings upwards.
As we are approaching the end of the teaching and working day and we expect normal supply by early evening, we do not intend to close campus. Basic toilet facilities with hand sanitiser will be available at the Palmer Building, Agriculture Building and Henley Business School until normal supply resumes. We understand that our London Road campus still has supply and toilet facilities are unaffected.
We anticipate that campus will be operating as normal by tomorrow, but please monitor email or the Staff Portal for the latest information.
Halls of Residence are not closing. Where Halls are affected, UPP is communicating directly with Halls residents about provision of critical services.
Please be aware that if you live in RG1, RG2 or RG6, your home supply may also be affected.
Original message (Tuesday 15 October): Thames Water has advised of a significant issue with their system, affecting RG1, RG2 and RG6, leading to loss of water or very low water pressure. This is affecting both our Whiteknights and London Road campuses, including our halls of residence.
We are advised by Thames Water that the problem may be resolved within an hour, with pressure returning progressively from the ground floor of buildings upwards.
Please restrict use of water until further notice as this will allow us to prioritise for emergencies. In the meantime, some services such as catering may need to close.
We will update you by 3.30pm.