COMMUTERS face a week of disruption after a ruptured water main left thousands of householders without supplies on the south side of Glasgow and blocked a busy route.

Thousands of properties in the Gorbals, Pollokshields, Shawlands, Mount Florida and Newlands areas were left without supplies, low pressure in their taps or discoloured water from 8pm on Tuesday until 11am yesterday.

Commuters face diversions and businesses near the damaged pipe in Bridge Street suffered flood damage.

There was an almost identical problem seven years ago in the street, raising questions about whether it could have been avoided.

Councillor Stephen Dornan called on Scottish Water to provide details of the work that is currently going on so that residents can be reassured.

The Govan member said: "I will be having discussions with Scottish Water because of this and I'm going to be asking them for their future timetable to see what they are planning for the area. They are doing a lot of work in the city centre at the moment upgrading their network so I will be asking what their plans are."

Motorists were also caught up congestion after the city council closed the south bound one way section of Bridge Street, near the Glasgow Bridge, as workers repaired the damage.

Both streets and the bridge are not due to be reopened until November 7. This is two days after the main Bonfire Night celebrations on Glasgow Green which traditionally attracts thousands of spectators.

To allow the 12 inch burst main to be repaired, the hole had to be opened wider, resulting in a 16ft crater. Several homes were evacuated and there flood damage to a pub in Bridge Street and some firms situated until railway arches in Commerce Street.

Thousands of homes were left without water in May 2006 after a burst main left a crater at the corner of Oxford Street and Bridge Street, causing major disruption. Derek Draper, 56, who lives nearby, said: "Why didn't they examine the pipes across the whole area to make sure none of the others had rotted? There's going to be a lot of damage to cars and businesses and you have to ask: why hasn't something been done to avoid it? Someone needs to be held accountable."

Danny MacDonald, who runs a carpet firm in Commerce Street said he had suffered £1000 of damage. He added: "A few carpets have been ruined and my office, but I honestly thought it would be much worse."

The council confirmed the road needed to be fully rebuild in the area of the burst and it was expected to remain shut until November 7.

Glasgow Bridge is closed southbound to all traffic. Kingston Street is shut from Bridge Street to Commerce Street and Clyde Place is closed from Commerce Street to Bridge Street. Diversions are in place on Clyde Street, Bridgegate, Saltmarket, Albert Bridge, Crown Street, and Ballater Street for southbound and eastbound traffic, and westbound on Broomielaw via The Clyde Arc.

Scottish Water apologised for the disruption. A spokesman said: "Scottish Water is advising customers who were affected by a loss of supply following a burst water main in the Bridge Street area of Glasgow on Tuesday night that any isolated cases of further disruption to normal supplies this morning are likely to have been caused by air-locks in the network."