As many as 12,000 people are still without water after Storm Ciaran damaged a treatment plant in Surrey, a council leader has confirmed.
Thames Water said problems remain in areas including Guildford and Godalming following the storm which caused issues at the Shalford water treatment works.
The water company has apologised for the complications, however Waverley Borough Council leader Paul Follows has condemned the firm over their "lack of communication".
A major incident was declared by Surrey County Council (SCC) on Sunday.
“Water infrastructure in this country is clearly crumbling," Follows told the BBC.
"I have certainly got questions for the county for not declaring a major incident much earlier, and I will certainly have questions for our MP about the state of water infrastructure in the local area because it is clearly failing.
"People have been quite upset… we’ve had almost no communications from Thames Water right from the start, so just actually trying to get basic information about what the problem is, how they’re resolving it and when it will be resolved, that has actually been the challenge.”
Staff said they have received reports of no water or low pressure, which has affected at least 13,500, according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
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David Bird, retail director for Thames Water said: “We absolutely accept that the quality of service that has been provided to our customers has not been at the level they would want.
"But obviously in this specific incident in Guildford it has been as a result of one of the biggest storms we’ve had in a decade.
“My focus today is making sure we are supporting all of our customers.”
Bird added that Thames Water had given out nearly half a million litres of bottled water to those affected.
Staff said they have received reports of no water or low pressure, which has affected at least 13,500, according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt
PAHunt, who is MP for South West Surrey which includes the affected areas, said he was “very concerned” about the situation and tweeted that he would talk to a Thames Water executive.
He later posted an update after speaking to Alastair Cochran, Thames Water’s interim co-chief executive and chief financial officer.
"Update from Thames Water CEO: They currently have 13,500 customers off supply and expect a further 6,500 to lose supply shortly," the MP said.
"The site controls at Shalford Water Treatment Works have been reset and they're testing turbidity at low water production volumes."
