WATER pipes across East Lancashire are returning to normal following reports of ‘bubbles in the water” over the bank holiday weekend.

United Utilities said engineers traced the glitch to a local pumping station in the Ribble Valley.

Customers called the company’s emergency helpline reporting ‘white water’ coming from taps. Large parts of Blackburn, Clitheroe, Mellor and Langho were all affected.

The Warrington-based supplier said: “Investigations point to a local pumping station and fluctuating pressure in a large 30-inch water main which feeds local communities through a network of smaller four-inch pipes. Air was sucked into the pipe causing the ‘white water’ effect, creating millions of tiny air bubbles to form. Harmless, the bubbles clear naturally when left to stand.”