Thames Water claims it has 'successfully completed' repair to burst main in Enfield

However it will still take time to restore normal water supplies to the hundreds of properties affected

Thames Water vans pictured in Enfield Town on Wednesday (19th)

Thames Water claims this morning (Thursday 20th) to have fixed the major leak which has caused several days of chaos in Enfield.

In its 9am online update, the privately-owned utility company reports that “the repair to the burst water main in Cockfosters has now been successfully completed”.

However, Thames Water also warns local supplies “may take longer than usual to fully return to normal” because of the widespread extent of the issues.

The issues began on Sunday (16th) with a major water leak reported in Bramley Road, between Oakwood and Cockfosters, but the situation worsened significantly on Monday (17th) with Thames Water admitting the situation had “become more challenging” to resolve.

Several hundred properties were affected over the past few days, across the N14, N21, EN1 and EN2 postcode areas. Yesterday (Wednesday 19th) Chase Farm Hospital also lost its water supply and was forced to cancel routine operations, eventually bringing in mobile water tankers.

But after replacing the broken section of water main overnight, Thames Water now says: “We are now focused on carefully restoring the local network to normal, managing pressures and flows as the system recovers to minimise the risk of further issues. This controlled approach means the network may take longer than usual to fully return to normal, but it will help ensure supplies are restored safely and reliably.

“As water supplies are returned, the network will be brought back into service gradually. This allows us to carefully manage water flows and pressures across the area, helping to ensure a stable recovery and reduce the risk of any further issues. As a result, some customers may find that it takes a little longer for their water supply and pressure to fully return to normal.

“Our teams will remain in the area, monitoring the network closely and making any adjustments needed to support recovery.”

Thames Water also warns that when people’s taps do start running again “it may be discoloured at first (rusty, white or milky in colour)” but that “this is normal”.

For those who still need help, free bottled water continues to be available at Tesco Extra in Ponders End High Street.

Thames Water adds: “Once the repair and network restoration have been completed, we will carry out a full review of the incident and our response. This will help us identify what worked well and where we can improve, with measures put in place to ensure we can respond more quickly and effectively should a similar incident occur in the future.

“We recognise how challenging this incident has been for customers and local residents, and we sincerely thank everyone affected for their patience and understanding while our teams have worked around the clock to complete this complex repair.”

For more updates:
Visit thameswater.co.uk/network-latest/2026/aug/n14-bramley-road

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