Cadent has divided the area affected by the N10 water-in-gas incident into a "West" zone and an "East" zone, saying the size of the affected area required it to work in smaller sections and reintroduce gas supply phase by phase, beginning with the West1. The incident began on Sunday 12 January 2025, when water entered the gas network in the N10 area of London, covering Muswell Hill, Hornsey and Colney Hatch, blocking the flow of gas into local properties1.
By 24 January, Cadent said it had pumped 54,000 litres of water out of its network and had restored supply to the remaining Phase 8, meaning all 15 phases had been recommissioned1. It said supply had been turned on to more than two thirds of affected properties at that point, and that it was then in a position to visit all remaining properties1. By 6pm the same day it reported supply restored to nearly three-quarters of impacted properties1. By 26 January it believed around 95% of affected properties were reconnected1. On 27 January it said it had visited all properties and got gas to all affected properties, to the gas meter, with over 63,000 litres of water pumped out in total1.
Cadent said Affinity Water had repaired its broken water pipe and Cadent had repaired its damaged gas pipe to ensure no more water entered the gas network1. Where water entered internal gas pipes and appliances, Affinity Water is arranging Gas Safe registered engineers1.
On compensation, Cadent said it would pay directly to each affected bill payer once gas supply had been restored, rather than through the gas supplier, and that the form had to be completed by Monday 10 February 20251.
"we have taken the decision to split the area into a "West" zone and an "East" zone due to the size of the area affected"
Why it matters for households
A water ingress of this kind removes gas at the meter, so a household loses heating, hot water and cooking until engineers clear the service pipe and purge and relight appliances. Cadent stated that the compensation period ends when gas reaches the meter, not when appliances are reconnected, so a property where nobody is present to give access may stop accruing compensation earlier than the occupier expects1. Cadent also stated that reconnection must be done by its engineers and that householders should not attempt it themselves1. The zone split is an operational step: it allows water to be extracted and gas reintroduced in smaller sections rather than across the whole network at once, which affects how quickly individual streets move from off supply to restored. For a home's energy independence, the practical point is that a single point of water entry on the local main can take an entire property off gas regardless of the condition of the pipework inside the home, and that restoration depends on access to the meter.
What happens next
Cadent said its engineers would remain on site for the rest of the week from 27 January to clear and tidy excavation sites used to pump water out of gas pipes1. Its customer team left the Freehold Community Centre after 27 January, with queries directed to its email address or the 0800 389 8000 line, open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday1. The compensation form deadline is Monday 10 February 20251. Cadent has not reported a completion date for restoring supply to the remaining properties where access had not been gained1.
Households wanting background on how gas distribution and connections work can read the Cadent Gas: Areas Served, Connections and Emergencies page, and the wider national supply hub covers how gas reaches homes.
Sources1 cited
- Water in gas pipes - N10 - Cadent Gas Ltd, cadentgas.com