Ceredigion: Thousands of properties still without water

BBC Water bottlesBBC
Free drinking water was being supplied to households in Ceredigion who have lost their water supply

Thousands of homes in Wales are still without water following bad weather.

Welsh Water said on Monday it hoped to restore water supply to about 4,500 Ceredigion homes before the end of Tuesday.

But the company boss Peter Perry said up to 2,500 are still without supply.

He added that five hundred people were working to fix leaks in the area and said a "majority" would have their supply restored overnight.

Mr Perry also said there were problems with bottled water deliveries.

He said there are "lessons to be learnt" and that a "thorough" post-incident review would take place.

Welsh Water apologised for the "continued inconvenience" for customers, but added it had made "good progress" in restoring supply to around 1,500 properties.

Refill stations
Emergency drinking water stations have been set up in Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn

The company said that while water levels return to normal there is a risk of air locks developing, which could cause temporary supply interruptions.

Welsh Water said it will have teams working through Tuesday night and on Wednesday to clear these locks.

Stations have been set up where affected residents pick up free drinking water - six two-litre bottles per household - or fill their own containers.

One station at Llandysul had been stripped of all bottled water on Tuesday afternoon, but Welsh Water has since replenished stations at both Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn.

Cardigan Town Council also supplied a water bowser for affected residents to collect water to use to flush their toilets.

Water Bowser
A water bowser was supplied by Cardigan Town Council to help residents flush their toilets

Welsh Water has advised customers to check all taps are not being left on and are only used when needed to limit the strain on supply.

It also asked agricultural customers to check that there aren't any leaks on their external pipes. 

In a statement the company said: "We would again like to apologise to customers and thank them for their continued patience."