HOUSEHOLDERS in Waltham Abbey have been relying on bottled water for four days after their mains supply was cut off.

Tamsin Murray, aged 42, of Breach Barns Lane, Galley Hill, said that her water supplier, Thames Water, had told her they could not help, as they do not own the water pipe that supplies her home.

“It's been a complete disaster,” she said. “Thames Water have washed their hands of us. They said they're only responsible for the water supply up to the point where the pipe finishes, about two miles down the road.

“How can I pay a company for delivering my water when it doesn't get to me?”

She and her husband Ken were given 12 litres of bottled water by Thames Water, but she said that it took five litres just to flush the toilet.

“We've got no ability to wash anything," she added. "I've got washing piling up.”

Her neighbour, Dennis Wade, said: “We've got nothing at all. This is the fourth day it's been off.

“We only got some bottled water from Thames Water last night and that's the first water we have had from them. We had to buy 50 bottles from Tesco.

“We just need to get water, it's as simple as that. We don't know who owns the water pipe and everyone is just shrugging their shoulders.”

A member of staff at the Galley Hill Equine Surgery, also in Breach Barns Lane, is also understood to be affected by the problem and staff are filling buckets for the horses from a reserve supply.

The residents are now trying to find out who owns the pipe that supplies their homes.

A spokeswoman for Thames Water, Becky Johnson, said: “An engineer was sent out over the weekend and there are no issues on our side.

“We have checked the connection point and delivered some bottled water as a goodwill gesture.”

She added that she did not know who owned the water pipe.