Residents said the deluge ‘seemed to be flowing both ways at either side of the road’
19:49, 20 Mar 2026Updated 21:14, 20 Mar 2026
Flooding turns village streets in Bolton into ‘rivers’ after burst water main
The streets of a housing estate in a Bolton village were likened to fast flowing rivers this morning after a burst water main released a deluge.
Residents in Harwood awoke on Friday to flooding in the area, along with a loss of of water supply after the early morning incident.
Work has been ongoing by United Utilities (UU) for more than a week in the Longsight Lane area of Harwood to install new pipes.
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It is understood that during the early hours of Friday a section of the old water main, adjacent to where contractors are working, suffered a catastrophic failure.
The floods on Hough Fold Way on Friday, March 20
One resident said ‘I’ve never seen nowt like it’ as the water flowed for hundreds of metres along Hough Fold Way and nearby side streets.
Many residents subsequently lost water supply or had low pressure or discoloured water.
United Utilities said water on wheels tankers had been sent to replenish supplies on the estate and it had ‘brought in water from other parts of our network to get customers’ taps flowing again’.
Jack Gill, 23, who lives on Hough Fold Way, said: “The water was flowing for hundreds of metres either way at the front, like a river.
“It was above kerb depth and seemed to be flowing both ways at either side of the road.
“I was worried that it might rise even further and get into the gardens and houses.”
A Longsight Lane resident, said: “It’s hard to believe there could be that much water under the estate. “For a time it was like a raging torrent.
“It’s ironic – the sun’s out, we’re having a decent dry spell but we’re still hit with floods.
Excavations on Longsight Lane
“They’ve been here well over a week doing work so I reckon it will take them even longer now.”
Video footage shot by a car passenger on the estate on Friday morning and shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service showed the level of the leak as water poured down Hough Fold Way.
In the video a voice said: “It’s flowing like a river – I’ve never seen nowt like it. “It can’t just be burst pipe – surely.”
After the UU water on wheels tankers arrived mid-morning residents on Longsight Lane said their water supplies were beginning to return.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “Engineers are responding to reports of a burst in Harwood.
“We know some customers may be experiencing no water or low water pressure as a result of this.
UU water trucks on Friday topping up supplies in Harwood
“While we carry out the repairs, we have sent our water on wheels tankers into the area and brought in water from other parts of our network to get customers’ taps flowing again.
“We’re really sorry for this disruption and we’re working hard to get things back to normal. We thank our customers for their patience.”
