30 Dec 2010

Northern Ireland water shortage could last until next week

People in Northern Ireland face water shortages until early next week. One badly affected resident, who has had no water for 9 days, tells Channel 4 News the situation is “awful” and “Dickensian”.

Northern Ireland Water (NIW) said today that it could be early next week before the water supplies are back to normal for all of its customers, who have turned to bottled water from supermarkets after running water supplies to their houses were cut off.

Around 32,000 properties were affected just on Wednesday, but the situation is improving in Belfast, the company said. The water shortage in Northern Ireland has already prompted health fears and is swiftly turning into a major political problem too.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness indicated heads should roll over the crisis.

He said: “There has to be accountability and we are not going to under those circumstances stand here and make excuses for a body that has so miserably failed our citizens.”

Cathy Dempster, from the Dungannon area of County Tyrone, told Channel 4 News she has been without water for 9 days, including over Christmas Day.

“It’s awful. It’s Dickensian,” she said. “When the water is on and off, that’s difficult enough to survive, but when it turns into days without any water the Government should be trying to help us. It really isn’t good enough.”

Government-owned operator NIW is pumping 250 mega-litres extra into the system, but most is still being lost in leakages from burst pipes – the cause of the original problem after a dramatic thaw in the cold weather caused the pipes to burst.

The water shortage in Northern Ireland could last for some people until early next week (Getty)

Temperatures in Northern Ireland reached -18C before Christmas, and were followed by the thaw. NIW believes vacant business premises could be the source of many of the leaks, with one property leaking enough water to cover up to 3,000 houses.

In a statement, the company thanked customers for their patience.

“A total of 6,000 customers remain without water supply since approximately 27 December. Restoring supply to these customers is our top priority, this will include repairs to burst pipes, continuing to increase reservoir levels and dealing with airlocks,” it said. Read the statement in full on the NIW website here.

Improvements

Trevor Haslett, Director of Engineering at NIW, said the situation in urban areas was improving and should be better by Friday afternoon.

“It could be early next week before everybody is on supply,” he said. He said that over a 12-hour period, the company had suffered more burst service pipes than he could remember in 35 years.

Water in south Belfast (@icedcoffee, from Twitter)
Your stories from Northern Ireland
@icedcoffee sent in this picture of the water coming from his tap on Wednesday in South Belfast, and told Channel 4 News: "My water has been intermittent this week. It's coming back now - mostly clear."

@nate_c11 said: "Water was off for three days - no information was given when supply would be back. Taps turned on last night so stocked up on water just in case!"

Cathy Dempster, from the Dungannon area of County Tyrone, told Channel 4 News she has been entirely without water for 9 days - a situation she described as "awful" and "Dickensian".

"The water went off a week ago," she said. "I phoned them, they said there was no problem. We've still got no water though. My husband checked all the pipes and there is no water coming in to our land. I phoned them yesterday, and I phoned them again today. She just said she was sorry - but what else can she say? I really feel they are probably doing their best but they did have warning that severe weather was coming - all of the pipes should have been checked and prepared."

Ms Dempster lives with her husband and son in a rural property. Her income as a photographer has been threatened because the lack of water means she cannot develop her work. She said the house has had "not a drip" since last Wednesday.

"We have been struggling, and using water very skimpily," she said. She has been driving to her mother's house, 10 miles away, to collect water and shower - and managed to make Christmas dinner using this method.

Follow @channel4news on Twitter and tell us your water shortage stories
Get the latest information on which postcodes will have their water on, and off, in Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland Water's website

The Ministerial Executive in Northern Ireland held an emergency meeting today. The Scottish Government has donated bottled water and the Coalition Government in Westminster says it is ready to help – with Defra poised to help with “crisis management” as well as extra tankers.

Political storm

Chief executive of NIW Laurence McKenzie has faced calls to resign, and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and First Minister Peter Robinson have criticised the company’s performance, with Mr McGuinness even calling for the water company bosses to be held fot account over the crisis.

But Mr McKenzie said today he had to tackle the current situation.

“My focus at the minute is getting through this situation,” he said. “I have been in here since the issue arose. I believe I am doing the best I can to keep the team together and keep focused.”

Earlier, Environment Minister at Stormont Edwin Poots told the BBC’s Today programme that “the buck stops” with NIW.

The buck stops with Northern Ireland Water. Environment Minister Edwin Poots

“The buck stops with Northern Ireland Water. It’s a Government-owned company but it has its own board and the chief executive is beholden to the board so Northern Ireland Water is quite distinct in that it isn’t run by the Government but nonetheless is owned by the Government.”

Residents are queuing at emergency water supply points (Getty)

He added: “The under-investment that took place was over the period of direct rule. A lot of that was really down to the Troubles, when money was diverted from areas such as water to pay for bombs and security services and so forth. But if you have 30 years of under-investment, you are not going to catch up in four or five.”

NIW has invested £150m in water mains over the past three years, replacing 1 per cent of the system, but in other parts of the UK almost double the amount of infrastructure has been replaced.

Mr Haslett added: “If NIW received more money for water mains we could increase the rate of renewal.”

Even before this month’s bad weather, almost a quarter of water was lost in leakage.

‘It’s just terrible’

Residents have been forming queues at emergency water points, and supermarkets have put restrictions on the amount of bottled water shoppers can buy.

A spokesman for Sainsbury’s supermarket told Channel 4 News: “Our stores in Northern Ireland are currently experiencing exceptional demand for bottled water however we are receiving extra deliveries which we hope will meet the needs of our customers.”

I was looking forward to a nice relaxed Christmas break. Now I cannot even have a shower. Belfast resident Phillip Dempster

Phillip Dempster, 31, from south Belfast, has been suffering from interrupted supplies since the thaw began just after Christmas Day.

He said: “It is just terrible, having to queue for water, it just should not happen. I have young children at home with the school holidays, it is just dreadful.”

He added: “I was looking forward to a nice relaxed Christmas break. Now I cannot even have a shower. It is just a disgrace and those up at Stormont should be ashamed of themselves.”

The Irish Republic has also suffered problems with its water supply.

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