Compensation row after major water main burst

The burst main left customers without water for up to four days

Residents left without water for four days after a mains burst have claimed they have been given the lowest amount of compensation by Welsh Water.

Forty householders living on one road in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, were given £30 for 12 hours without water.

Meanwhile, 12 miles (19km) away, residents in Ffynnongroyw, said they have not been compensated at all after being left without water.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said a leak may have affected water pressure in Ffynnongroyw and will make "goodwill payments". But compensation given to Connah's Quay residents already reflected its statutory obligations.

York Road residents in Connah's Quay found some got paid more than others

Thousands of people across north east Wales had no water following the burst at Broughton, Flintshire in August.

Repairs took two days to complete but some customers were still off supply until the fourth day as water levels in the system returned to normal.

Welsh Water offered affected businesses £75 and each household £30 compensation for every continuous 12 hour period without water.

But residents in Connah's Quay said there was a huge discrepancy in the amounts being paid to people on one street alone.

Residents on York Road got between £30 and £150

'Why should it be so different?'

Ralph Rowlands, 74, lives on York Road, Connah's Quay.

He said: "When a £30 payment came, I thought, 'well, that's only 12 hours, what's happened to the rest of the time?' because Thursday morning until Saturday lunchtime in my book is more than 48 hours."

Ralph chatted to neighbours and found some had received up to £150 for the same period.

Alan Sandland, 74, conducted a straw poll of York Road residents.

He said: "We started off at £30, we went a few doors up, we got to £90 and then somewhere £120 and so on. You start to think, 'why should it be so different?' We're all in the same road, we're all in the same postcode."

Joan Catherall, 77, said being without water for almost four days was "difficult" but it's been compounded by the response of Welsh Water: "We got on with it but to be treated like that, just dismissed as though you're making it up. We weren't making it up."

Residents in Ffynnongroyw will receive "goodwill payments"

A public meeting was planned for 9 October in Ffynnongroyw, Flintshire, where similar discrepancies were reported with some claiming they have had no compensation at all.

Robin Jones organised the event. He said customers were told the village remained on supply during the burst: "That statement is simply not true and it's an insult to the residents who were affected, there was not a single drop of water available in the system."

Welsh Water said its Ffynnongroyw readings were accurate but it is making "goodwill payments" of £120 to households and £300 to businesses after discovering "a high level of leakage" which "may have had an impact on our network and its performance during this period of very low pressure".

Councillor Andy Hughes is vowing to fight for equality for residents

No further compensation payments are likely in Connah's Quay.

Welsh Water said its sensor readings are accurate and "subject to the total recorded time that properties are continuously without water.".

It said the existing payments "reflect the supply interruption at the customers' address".

Flintshire councillor Andy Hughes represents Golftyn in Connah's Quay.

He said residents won't stop fighting for equal treatment: "We don't want this to drag on but we won't let it go either. So to Welsh Water if you're listening: just do the right thing."