1,000 still without water after Storm Emma snow thaws

Media caption,

Why do water main pipes burst?

About 1,000 homes in Wales are still without water because of problems caused by burst pipes after Storm Emma.

Welsh Water said it was still trying to fix problems in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and on Anglesey.

The company also apologised after many of those affected complained about delays in receiving bottled water.

The aftermath of the storm is continuing to cause problems, with some roads and schools still affected.

Welsh Water said it was prioritising vulnerable people and had opened bottled water stations to help those who were cut off.

It had hoped to have everyone reconnected by Tuesday afternoon, but at 20:00 GMT, about 1,000 customers were still without water.

Those affected live in east Anglesey, mid-Ceredigion and rural parts of Pembrokeshire.

Managing director Pete Perry told BBC Radio Wales' Good Evening Wales programme: "Access has been a real issue and that's why in many ways we haven't been able to get bottled water out as quickly as we possibly can.

'We will continue to work around the clock to get this sorted."

Anglesey councillor Carwyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme residents in Llangoed had been without water since Friday without alternative supplies.

He said: "Llangoed has not had a drop of water supplied by Dwr Cymru [Welsh Water] for four days, it's no joke. It's not acceptable, these are customers and they are being let down badly."

"I've had one constituent waiting for a kidney transplant - no water - diabetics, disabled, the elderly, vulnerable, poorly children. It's an absolute disgrace."

Image source, Vivian Williams
Image caption,

People had to queue for bottled water from Welsh Water in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, on Monday

Dean Skates, from Trefin in Pembrokeshire, who has been without water since 08:00 on Sunday, said residents there were struggling to get alternative water supplies.

He said: "Up until last night, it was a 20-mile round trip to try and buy water. We had water delivered last night but Welsh Water have been no help whatsoever.

"You ring them up, they're going to ring you back - they never ring you back.

"We are so rural, the garage has sold out of water, the main supermarket in Haverfordwest - they were all out of water - and at four o'clock the supermarkets shut, you can't get water."

Mr Skates said the village did receive a bottled water delivery on Monday night from Welsh Water but the firm still could not tell them when supplies would be restored.

Image source, @ArrivaTW/Twitter
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Snow is cleared from the Heart of Wales railway line, which has now fully reopened

Ysgol Gymunedol Croesgoch in Pembrokeshire has been closed as it has no water.

Meanwhile, Ysgol Ardudwy in Harlech, has been shut for the week because its roof was badly damaged by the storm.

A lorry was stuck for an hour on Tuesday morning trying to get down a country lane near Newtown, according to Dyfed Powys Police.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, the A4226 Port Road West, known as Five Mile Lane near Barry, reopened on Tuesday after being closed due to the snow.

Image source, Powys Teaching Health Board