Tens of thousands in IJmond lose water after major pipeline break

Tens of thousands of residents in the IJmond region were left without water for several hours Saturday morning after a large transport pipeline near Wijk aan Zee ruptured, NOS reports. Water overflow occurred in the rural areas of Heemskerk and Wijk aan Zee, flooding several cycling and walking paths.

The break disrupted water supply in IJmuiden, Santpoort, Driehuis, and Velserbroek, leaving homes with little or no running water. By late morning, water pressure had largely returned to most affected areas.

“How the leak occurred is still unknown,” said a spokesperson for water company PWN. “The section with the leak has been shut off. Water is now being redirected to customers through other pipelines.”

The incident also caused heavy traffic on the PWN website as residents sought information. The site became overloaded, prompting Veiligheidsregio Kennemerland to take over communications. Residents in affected areas also received informational text messages.