SCORES of residents were left without water yesterday after mains burst across south Essex.

Six mains burst after the recent hot and dry weather caused pipes to shift and break underground.

Repair teams were sent to Basildon, Southend and Rayleigh to try to restore water supplies.

Nearly 100 customers called Essex and Suffolk Water to complain about having no water.

First reports of the problems came from Pitsea and Vange after a water main burst at the junction of Tennyson Drive and High Road.

More people then had their water turned off so repair teams could work throughout the day to try to restore the flow.

Mains in the Brownlow Bend area and Sparrows Herne, both in Basildon, also burst, leading to repairs being carried out into the afternoon.

In Rayleigh, Station Crescent was closed between Cotswold Avenue and Upway while repairs were carried out to another burst main.

Traffic jams through the town continued into the rush hour, when work was expected to finish in Station Crescent and Warwick Close, which also experienced a burst pipe.

Beaufort Street in Southend also suffered a break.

A spokesman for Essex and Suffolk Water, which is responsible for water supplies in the area, said: “This has been one of our busiest days of the summer so far, due to the dry weather causing the ground to move.

“Essex and Suffolk Water is committed to repairing the leaks as soon as possible. We have one of the lowest rates of leakage of any UK water company.

“Our teams have repaired three burst water mains in Southend and Rayleigh and three in the Basildon area.

“Some customers have been affected and alternative water supplies have been provided by the water company.

“Our employees continued to work on other bursts into the evening.”