IF you were left with low pressure or no water at all following last week's supply failure, you might be entitled to compensation.

Southern Water came under fire for the second time in less than two months after a "failure" at its Otterbourne works disrupted water supply to 13,000 homes.

The issue took more than three days to fix and resulted in bottled water stations being set up to allow people to cook and wash.

Now, customers affected by the loss of water will receive a letter or email about compensation.

What to expect

Unplanned outages

Southern Water customers in Southampton, Eastleigh and Winchester will have £30 credited to their account for every 12 hours their supply was cut off.

This means that if you were left without water for two days, you can expect a payment of £120.

No payment will be made if the outage lasted less than 12 hours, according to the firm's compensation policy.

Customers eligible for compensation will be written to directly, however Southern Water says it may be "difficult" to identify all properties affected.

Customers affected who are not contacted should make a claim (either orally or in writing) within three months of the date their supply was cut off.

Affected customers known to Southern Water who don't receive compensation within 20 working days of the date of interruption may receive an extra £20.

Low pressure

Customers who experienced significantly low water pressure for more than one hour on two separate occasions within a 28-day period will receive £25. 

The company describes 'significant low pressure' as less than seven metres static head (0.7 bar) in your communication pipe.

To receive the payment, customers have to make a written claim within three months of the second incident.

For more information on Southern Water's compensation policy or how to make a claim click here