The leak, at the Rochford Corner junction, has seen a road closure remain in place on Whitehouse Road today after a water main burst left water rushing down the road, raising “frustration” among residents amid a number of leaks across the city.
Concern has also been raised about the frequency of the leaks amid an ongoing hosepipe ban adopted by Essex and Suffolk Water due to drought conditions in the east of England.
Essex and Suffolk Water sent repair teams to the leak yesterday and said so far no customer supplies had been affected.
Paul Collins, Southend Lib Dem councillor for transport, said: “This was a pretty dramatic event that lifted not only the drain cover, but the road surface as well.
“The council is working with ESW and Cadent contractor in the area to minimise the traffic congestion.
“The larger problem is the extreme heat and our clay subsurface contracting and the integrity and internal water pressure in the water pipes cause these dramatic failures.
“It is obvious that our climate is changing and hotter and drier summers are going to become the norm. We need to take this seriously as we work to reverse the climate change.”
The leak also prompted concerns due to water flowing downhill in the direction of active gas works from Cadent underway on Snakes Lane.
Lydia Hyde, resident and former Southend Labour councillor, said: “I think it’s a real problem that we keep seeing these leaks popping up.
“Given there is currently a hosepipe ban, it’s really frustrating for residents to see water rushing down the road and causing damage, particularly as there’s gas work going on nearby.
“I understand the council are working hard with Cadent to minimise any disruption to the works this leak might cause and are speaking to ESW.
“But honestly with the number of leaks we’ve seen over the last few weeks it’s pretty clear something needs to be done by the water company, this can’t keep happening.”