A busy junction will be closed for more than a week after a water main burst.

Parts of Tonbridge were without or had little water on Wednesday due to a large leak along Sovereign Way.

Hillview School for Girls, in Brionne Gardens, and Royal Rise Primary School, in Royal Rise, were forced to shut and revert to remote learning as their pipes ran dry but both have been able to reopen today.

Residents in the area were also left with no or limited supplies and low water pressure while engineers from South East Water looked to re-route the network.

The issue was caused by a burst main at the roundabout linking Sovereign Way and Avenue De Puy.

A spokesman for South East Water said it received a call before 6am and had been onsite during the day carrying out investigations and repair work.

An emergency road closure along Avenue De Puy had also been put in place and it has since been extended until Friday, October 20, to allow remedial works to be carried out.

According to Kent County Council highways officers, the road will be shut to through traffic in its entirety for up to 10 days.

The alternative route is via Avenue De Puy, Vale Road, B2260 High Street, Bordyke, A227 Hadlow Road, Cannon Lane, Vale Road, Sovereign Way and vice versa.

In an update to customers, the water firm said the repairs to the burst main were completed last night and taps should be flowing as normal.

It added: “Due to the damage to the road, it will need to remain shut. We are working with Kent Highways to do this quickly.

“We are sorry for the disruption this has caused.”

Elsewhere in the county, another water mains burst in Pound Road, East Peckham, and has now been fixed overnight.

A resident said the leak was causing a “fountain in the road”.

South East Water said engineers have since repaired the pipe and although customers should have their water back, it could look a different colour.

A spokesman added: “If your water looks brown in colour, please do not worry as it is not harmful. This happens when small particles of iron within the mains are disturbed.

“You water may also appear cloudy, or white. If you fill a glass of water and it clears from the bottom upwards then this means your water is just a little more aerated than usual.

“Simply run the water from your cold kitchen tap until the water is clear. Once again, we are really sorry for the disruption.”