College students sent home after water main bursts

A burst water main near Shetland College caused difficultires this morning with students having to be sent home and staff unable to get a cup of tea.

College staff became aware of the problem at around 10am when Scottish Water told them the water would be switched off until approximately 2pm, by which time it was anticipated the leak would be fixed.

Students already at the college had to be sent home, although those only due to attend in the afternoon were allowed to come in.

A spokeswoman for the college said that apart from bottled water for sale in the canteen there was no water at all.

The leak was reported to Scottish Water at around 9am by men working on the road who spotted water “boiling out” on the hard shoulder at the access road to the college.

A Scottish Water spokesman said: “Scottish Water engineers are working to repair a burst water main in Gremista. We expect the repair to be completed by mid afternoon and supplies restored to affected customers. We are working to repair the burst as quickly as is possible and would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience this burst may have caused.”