THOUSANDS of people have been left without water just days before Christmas.
Around 24,000 households and businesses have been left with no water or very low water pressure due to issues with Southern Water.
Residents have been unable to flush toilets, wash dishes, or get drinking water in their own homes.
Bottled water stations have been set up in Winchester and Eastleigh for those with no supplies.
- READ MORE: Leak gushes down Southampton street for days as homes left without water
James White who lives in the Bassett area of the city has described the shortage as "inconvenient".
The 51-year-old architect said: "For an evening or half a day it’d be fine, but when we’re talking about two days, that’s quite an inconvenience, especially with three kids at home.
"We have some bottles of water, but not from the places Southern Water set up, as they’re many miles away and getting something from the shop is a lot quicker.
"It’s not cheap, but last night there was a massive queue at the place they’re distributing water in Eastleigh.
"I don’t know why they haven’t set one up in Southampton, because the vast majority of people affected by this are in Southampton.
"The closest bottle of water station is in Eastleigh, how on Earth is anyone supposed to get there without a car?"
A retired 80-year-old man, Ronald Stanley, from Bassett, added: "You can’t flush the toilet. The actual system takes a lot of water.
"There is no water going in. You have to put the lid down and it stinks.”
Residents with water have been urged to "reduce the amount they use".
The disruption started late on Wednesday night, with Southern Water claiming it will be resolved in 72 hours.
Some of the areas affected are Southampton, Eastleigh, Hedge End, and Chandler's Ford.
Graham Applin, who lives alone on Sycamore Avenue, Chandler's Ford, said he has received "little or no help from Southern Water".
The 59-year-old said he spent all morning trying to access the company's helpline as he is on their priority services and should be receiving a bottled water delivery.
He said: "The fact of the matter is that because of the incompetence of this company vast swathes of southern England have been left without any water at all."
People can collect bottled water from Places Leisure in Eastleigh, or from South Winchester Park and Ride and East Winchester Park and Ride.
Bob Collington, chief operating officer, said: “We are currently facing significant pressure on our water supply in parts of Hampshire, caused by a combination of factors including leaks resulting from the recent ‘freeze/thaw’ event.
"This has meant demand for water is outstripping the ability of our water treatment sites to keep taps running.
“We have worked hard to solve this issue, tackling leaks and stabilising supply, however in the last 24 hours we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce supply in order to protect critical Hampshire infrastructure like hospitals.
“This means that a significant number of homes are without water or have low pressure and this is likely to be ongoing until at least Friday."
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