Haslemere’s water supply came dangerously close to disruption after a minor car crash blocked the only route for Thames Water tankers heading to Blackdown Reservoir, according to a resident.

Barry McGerr, who lives on Chase Lane, said the collision on Sunday, July 6– which left a car with wrecked suspension – temporarily halted water deliveries, putting local supply “in jeopardy.”

“For weeks now, we’ve had tankers grinding up the hill 24/7,” he said. “One of the drivers told me it’s like filling a bucket with a teaspoon. With the heat, they’ll be doing this for weeks.”

Thames Water confirmed tankers were recently used “to help keep taps flowing” during hot weather, though none had been deployed for the past fortnight.

But McGerr claims tanker operations have occurred even in winter and says the town’s infrastructure is no longer fit for purpose.

“Blackdown Reservoir was built about 100 years ago – it’s already at capacity,” he said. “There’s no room to expand, and yet housing developments keep going up. Thames Water aren’t pushing back or investing properly.”

Haslemere’s mayor, Jean Arrick, said the town council has been aware of Thames Water using tankers to fill Blackdown since at least 2020, but the latest incident had not been reported.

“When Thames Water comments that sufficient capacity exists to support developments like Scotland Park phase 2, you’ve got to wonder how much they care,” she said.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “The ongoing hot weather and resulting increase in demand presents challenges as we maintain supply across our network. Our teams continue to work around the clock to provide high-quality drinking water.”

The firm is investing £840 million over the next five years to upgrade infrastructure across nine treatment sites, as part of a wider £20 billion improvement plan.