Water levels reached 1ft (30cm) deep when the first reports of flooding in Honeypot Lane, Basildon, came in
Up to 40 homes have been affected by flooding after a water main burst for the second time in five months.
Essex Fire Service said water levels reached 1ft (30cm) deep when the first reports of flooding in Honeypot Lane, Basildon, came in at 04:00 BST.
Firefighters tried to divert water away from properties as engineers turned off the supply.
Some homes have now been flooded twice. Essex and Suffolk Water apologised to those affected by the disruption.
Carpets were pulled out of properties as part of a flooding clean-up operation in Basildon
Resident Kathleen Allen said her property was flooded on New Year's Eve and her replacement carpets were fitted just four days ago.
None of the properties had to be evacuated, but between 30 and 40 homes were 'affected' by the flood water
A spokesman for Essex and Suffolk Water said although the mains pipe was the same one that burst five months ago it was in a different place.
"We have been doing work since New Year and we have renewed certain sections but we have moved the weakest point."
Of the 40 properties affected, 12 were flooded inside, a few others were flooded in their gardens and the remainder had lost water supply.
At one point flood waters were up to a foot high (30cm) in Honeypot Lane
