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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Thousands of people being left with no water for days on end

30 replies

NoDwrInCymru · 19/12/2022 20:01

3 days without water now across a large, rural area of Mid/West Wales. 11 schools closed. Only 2 water points set up, both a 35 minute drive away from us, dh drove down to one and it had ran out, no one had any update on when there would be more. We checked Facebook to find out the other one had also ran out. Dwr Cymru haven't got a bloody clue what they are doing, we are on the priority list (tiny kids) as are many of our elderly neighbours but in 3 days we have had no water delivered to our houses regardless of what the website says. The only updates we are getting is from local councillors on Facebook. Nothing from Dwr Cymru, just a vague post on the website about how they are aware. An absolute fucking joke! I get that there has been a big freeze and there are a lot of burst pipes but the management of this crisis is shocking and nothing is being said about it.

Tomorrow will be day 4 for some people, other nearby villages aren't far behind and are on over 48 hours with not a drop, no deliveries, not enough water points and lack of communication about how much is available at them, no priority service delivery, no help for the vulnerable, no concern for newborn babies who need water for formula, and the rest of the UK seemingly unaware. And there's no water left in any shops anywhere locally.

Anyone else in the same boat? We are getting so angry now.

OP posts:
picklemewalnuts · 19/12/2022 20:04

Very poor! I've heard about it on the news, but didn't pay enough attention to twig where it was.

NoDwrInCymru · 19/12/2022 20:05

Pleased to hear it has been on the news, it's been radio silence for days and we've been getting increasingly angry. Something needs to be done and quickly.

OP posts:
Weatherwax13 · 19/12/2022 20:08

It's the same in Thanet, Kent. Just been speaking to a mate there. He'd come back from queuing three hours for bottled water at a point miles from his house. His heating has gone off as well because there's no water

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 20:08

I have no water and won’t have any until at least Wednesday. I am praying it will be sorted by Christmas. That would be my Christmas miracle.

wobblybobbly · 19/12/2022 20:08

We are in the same boat, only longer. Last Wednesday our country lane flooded and no water since. Keep being told by SE Water that more densely populated areas have precedence. Luckily we have relatives but too far away and now school is finished we can be flexible travelling but the last day of school was a smelly one.

unbelievably there is no SLA for fixing a burst water main that we can see on their website. No one on the telephone knows what is happening. A digger turned up today and we had a text finally confirming the leak so we are hoping that’s it being dealt with now.

Hope they get it sorted for you soon.

SweetSakura · 19/12/2022 20:14

This sounds awful. I had no idea (but have been switched off from the news). A 35 minute drive isn't good even if there had been water - what about peoplemwho don't have access to a car!

Afterfire · 19/12/2022 20:18

Wow that is truly awful! I haven’t heard anything about this on the news and I read a lot of news! Dreadful.

MrsK2022 · 19/12/2022 20:24

Hey, you’re not alone I live in Tunbridge Wells in Kent & ours has been low/off since last Thursday. Worrying that this is happening elsewhere too!! Hopefully they sort it out soon.

LakieLady · 19/12/2022 20:25

I'm in the SE and saw about the lack of water in Kent and Sussex on the local news earlier. I was shocked - I knew that parts of Tunbridge Wells were without water at the end of last week, but had no idea that it was still a problem or that it was much more widespread.

It's a fucking disgrace imo. People pay shedloads for water in some areas (my bill is over £400 a year and I live alone) and they're entitled to expect it to be available all year round imo. These companies clearly don't invest enough in infrastructure to keep the service running imo.

It must be hellish trying to manage without water, I really feel for all those affected and hope it's sorted soon.

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 20:26

It is absolutely hell. I will never take water for granted again.

bellinisurge · 19/12/2022 20:28

This kind of thing is why I'm a prepper. There's a whole Preppers topic on MN
I'm really sorry for anyone in this mess and I hope the local authorities are taking care of them.

girlmom21 · 19/12/2022 20:32

Rishi will be on the news soon saying he's done everything in his power to ensure everyone has access to running water...

Hope it's sorted soon OP

IncessantNameChanger · 19/12/2022 20:42

I had no idea about this. I always have 6 bottles of the cheapest 2l water at home. But that would only last a day for drinking. The last time we had a very local water cut we had to pick up lots of 500ml bottles of water so not much use with disabled kids and needing to flush the loo. It's scary how much you really need just for the very basics

BorgQueen · 19/12/2022 21:09

Why would people have no heating if the water goes off? The water is your heating system is a closed loop.

In the situation of no water supply and unavailable to buy, you can get purification tablets for rainwater / river water or water bottles with built in filtration. Even bleach in the correct dilution will suffice if you let it stand.

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 21:17

Why would people have no heating if the water goes off? The water is your heating system is a closed loop you can’t have your heating on if you have a combi boiler?
Have you been in this situation? No water for days? Needing to stop stools overflowing from the toilet?

NoDwrInCymru · 19/12/2022 21:17

I've not said anything about our heating not working

I don't want to have to dilute rainwater with bleach to feed a newborn baby. I want Dwr Cymru to do their job, deliver supplies to priority households, restock and reopen the existing water points, open more in between the existing ones so people aren't having to travel the best part of an hour and to actually communicate to the 5000 households affected what is going on and when it will be fixed.

OP posts:
TitsInAbsentia · 19/12/2022 21:20

It's appalling in this day and age. Yes infrastructure can fail every now and then but there should be adequate support in place for when that happens. I really hope you get it back soon.

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 21:20

NoDwrInCymru
I really help the situation is resolved, it’s seafood isn’t it?

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 21:20

Sorry that should say awful.

Saz12 · 19/12/2022 21:31

I think some older back-boilers (typically running on lpg) aren’t a closed system though?
We’ve no water since Saturday in central Scotland. It’s a pita, manageable but a pain. Things like showers aren’t happening!

BorgQueen · 19/12/2022 22:23

Of course a combi boiler has a closed loop 🙄 You don’t seriously think that fresh water gets pumped in every time you put your heating on?

I know it’s a crap situation but people who are able, need to be proactive. Supermarket delivery of ready made formula? Baby wipes for keeping clean? Buckets of rainwater to flush the toilet?

Everyone should have 3-5 days worth of supplies stored in case of things like this happening.

NoelNoNoel · 19/12/2022 22:29

BorgQueen
you sound a very compassionate person. I hope karma doesn’t come and bite you on your arse.

BorgQueen · 19/12/2022 22:39

I just don’t understand why people aren’t better prepared.
DH has spent the last week on emergency call outs, fixing peoples’ heating / defrosting their pipes and our neighbour’s ceiling has come down thanks to an unlagged pipe in his loft that froze so much it blew the stopcock off in his kitchen, people think their lofts are warm, they’re not if they are properly insulated!

BoxerMam · 19/12/2022 22:45

Water is off in the North East as well.

GreenSeaGlass · 19/12/2022 22:49

What’s going on? Why is the water off all over the place?