Traffic hit as water main bursts

Monday 1st December 2008, 2:55PM GMT.

THE earth moved in St Peter on Saturday afternoon when a burst water pipe caused part of the road to collapse.

A large trench appeared in the 20 mph zone along St Peter’s Village after water from the pipe washed away ground underneath the tarmac.

The managing director of Jersey Water, Howard Snowden, said that water pipes can be at risk at this time of year because of sudden changes in temperature. ‘It was a six-inch burst water main just north of the village,’ he said. ‘This sort of thing can happen in winter when there is a sudden drop. It can cause the pipes to break.’

Mr Snowden said that the pipe was fixed on Saturday evening and that disruption to water users was minimal. However, he also warned that the road would likely be closed to cars until tomorrow evening.

• Picture: Rob Currie

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