Tankers move in to bring extra water
TANKERS have been deployed to bring in extra supplies of water to North Wales in the midst of the summer dry spell.
A fleet of 30 vehicles is in action this weekend as Welsh Water attempts to deal with the effects of the long period without rain.
They say even with recent showers, they may not be enough to get levels back up to normal as they cope with an unprecedented demand for up to a billion litres a day.
Workmen are out trying to fix as many leaking pipes as possible to limit waste, and the water treatment works around Wales are being manned 24 hours a day.
Welsh Water says the ground has been so dry that new rainfall will struggle to seep into the ground and replenish reservoir levels.
And one North Wales family said it had been without water for eight weeks after its spring ran dry, and although Welsh Water had given them emergency supplies, those have now dried up.
Owein Prendergast, who lives in Mynydd Llandegai, said: “Me and my neighbours have a private water supply from two separate springs.
“They usually run quite low in the summer, but I’ve lived here 12 years and we’ve only run dry once in the past.
“Whereas, in the first week of June this year, our spring ran completely dry so we’ve got no running water into the house.
“I contacted Environmental Health and Gwynedd council two weeks ago because I’m not a customer of Welsh Water, as they quote me ridiculous prices to connect me to mains water.
“Environmental Health told me a couple of weeks ago that they were trying to get water supplies through to residents, for sanitary arrangements and so on.
“They arranged for Welsh Water to come and deliver us bottled water. They also filled one of my tanks with 2,000 litres of water, which is around three to four days’ worth, but we made it last a week by being very sparing.
“That supply has now run out and I’ve contacted them again and they’ve told me they will supply bottled water, which we have to collect unless we’re elderly or vulnerable, so we’re left high and dry really.
“The issue is that bottled water is no good for emptying a toilet. We’ve been using water from the water butts to empty the toilet but because this drought has gone on for so long, they were empty some time ago.”
Welsh Water’s drive to stave off the drought comes as neighbouring utility firm United Utilities, which covers the north west of England, is poised to introduce a hosepipe ban in an effort to help reduce demand on the system.