Chessington World of Adventures in south-west London was forced to close for the day during the school summer holidays after a burst water main affected the area. Visitors were turned away at the car park, and the park remained shut until the problem was resolved.
Ticket revalidation and visitor impact
The theme park announced that tickets would be revalidated rather than refunded, allowing visitors to use them within nine months on selected dates. Thames Water, which supplies the park, confirmed that a burst main on Leatherhead Road was affecting customers in the KT9 postcode.
Thames Water's response
Thames Water said: "We're sorry to customers in the Chessington area who are currently without water, and to anyone whose plans to visit Chessington World of Adventures Resort who have been affected following today's outage. Our specialist team is on site and have located a burst water main on Leatherhead Road. Repairs are under way and we are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore supplies. Once the repair is complete, water should begin returning to taps."
Park's return promise
A spokesperson for Chessington World of Adventures said: "We are currently experiencing operational disruption due to a burst water main that is affecting the local area. As a result, the attraction is closed today while our teams work closely with Thames Water and local partners to restore normal operations as quickly and safely as possible. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our guests and can confirm that anyone impacted will be automatically revalidated under our return promise. The safety of our guests and employees remains our highest priority."
The park, operated by Merlin Entertainments, has not yet confirmed which specific dates will be available for complimentary return visits. The school holiday period traditionally ends at the beginning of September. A hosepipe ban has been in effect for Thames Water customers since July 23.
