Welsh Water apologises after years of burst water mains on rural road

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

Dŵr Cymru has apologised to residents for repeated water mains bursts on a rural road, following years of leaks.

Denbighshire Councillors say the roadworks have caused disruption on the stretch between Rhuallt, Tremeirchion, and Bodfari, leading to school closures and water supply issues.

Tremeirchion councillor Chris Evans said the work was causing added inconvenience to residents impacted by the loss of the Llanerch Bridge crossing, who are forced to take long detours.

Cllr Evans said the community council has been working with Welsh Water hoping to resolve the issue after years of repeated problems.

“The pipe collars on the end of the water mains have failed in places, and Welsh Water has been out over the last two or three years and done over 10 repairs where the road has been shut,” he said.

“They’ve been out over the past few nights again, but last week the road was closed, and especially with not having the Llanerch Bridge, it is not helping and putting more strain on the Bach Graig road.

“On Friday Ysgol Tremeirchion was closed because they didn’t have water, and farmers have told me livestock haven’t got water to drink. It needs sorting and a lot of money to fix it once and for all.

“We had a meeting with the community council where somebody from Welsh Water came and informed us it was the collars that were breaking down.

“They were supposed to put some valves on at the pumping station to lessen the pressure. But last week they’ve had three or four major leaks, and residents have had enough.

He added: “From Trefnant to Tremeirchion, three years ago they resurfaced that road brilliantly. It’s now like a patchwork quilt. The tarmac looks a disgrace.”

A Welsh Water spokesman said:  “We carried out two repairs on a main on this road last week.

“The work was done as quickly as possible, with one of them done overnight, to minimise disruption.

“Our teams are exploring what can be done to prevent repeat issues. They have also met with the community council and will continue to engage constructively with local stakeholders.”

He added: “We would like to apologise for the disruption these incidents caused and thank customers for bearing with us.”

Getting worse

Tremeirchion Community councillor Kevin Potts, who is a farmer, said: “This has been a historical issue. We’ve been complaining for at least seven years. The problem is getting worse and (is being) compounded. The bursts are so frequent. Last week we had three.

“We were promised five years ago there would be a strategic plan in terms of replacement. But we seem to be a little village out of the way and forgotten and overlooked. It has really impacted on life and on businesses locally.”

Denbighshire County Council was contacted for a comment.