Rhuallt and Tremeirchion taps run dry as main keeps bursting
A Tremeirchion councillor says farmers cannot water their livestock, while Welsh Water links repeated bursts on the main to ground movement after a dry summer.
By
Lowri Evans
In brief
- Repeated bursts on a water main have left homes in two Denbighshire villages with weak or intermittent supply.
- Welsh Water blames soil re-saturating after the dry summer; the local councillor says the pipe has been failing for about ten years.
- The company cites a new pressure valve and mains renewal near Aberwheeler, while the councillor says problems continue.
Residents of Rhuallt and Tremeirchion, two Denbighshire villages, are still dealing with unreliable taps after a run of bursts on the main that serves them, and their local councillor says the situation has become unacceptable.
Households have had weak pressure at best and, at times, a supply that comes and goes. Tremeirchion councillor Chris Evans says residents can be left with poor pressure, or with nothing coming out of the tap, and receive no warning beforehand. He says the disruption reaches beyond kitchens and bathrooms: farmers in the area have been left without water for their livestock.
“totally unacceptable”
Chris Evans, Tremeirchion councillor
That was his verdict, as reported by North Wales Live, which covered the residents’ complaints. For a rural community where farming depends on a steady supply, the interruptions are a practical burden as much as an inconvenience.
Two explanations for the same failing pipe
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has apologised. Its explanation points to the weather: after the dry months of summer, the soil became saturated again, and the company says the resulting ground movement caused the bursts. A company spokesperson said it is aware that some customers in the Tremeirchion area have suffered low pressure or intermittent supply because of a series of bursts, and that it is working to make the local network more resilient.
Councillor Evans gives a longer account. In his view, the main has been failing for a good ten years, with repairs made piecemeal as each fault appeared, and the road was resurfaced a few years ago. That is his assessment, not a conclusion reached by the water company.
The complaints are not new. Back in May, the Local Democracy Reporting Service had already covered an apology from Welsh Water to residents, after a rural road suffered repeated pipe bursts. Councillors at the time complained of leaks going back years. They also said roadworks were disrupting the stretch between Rhuallt, Tremeirchion and Bodfari, and linked that disruption to school closures and water problems. Those links are allegations made by the councillors.
Measures announced and the councillor’s reservations
Welsh Water describes several steps it says it has taken or is taking. Councillor Evans says Welsh Water met him and the community council, and that the problems have continued despite those discussions. The two positions are set out below.
| Measure | Welsh Water’s position | Councillor’s account |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure control | A pressure regulating valve has been installed, which the company says should reduce bursts in the area | Valves were due to be installed at the pumping house in September, but problems persist |
| Main renewal | Pipe renewal around Aberwheeler will, it says, reduce the impact of future problems in Tremeirchion | Welsh Water is repairing a main from Llandyrnog to Aberwheeler |
| Road disruption | Repairs affecting the road network are carried out after 10pm and overnight | The failing main has had repairs made piecemeal for around ten years |
The effectiveness of the valve and of the Aberwheeler work is Welsh Water’s own claim.
The company says it has worked to cut the effect of repairs on the road network by carrying them out late at night, which matters on a rural route already affected by roadworks according to councillors. Councillor Evans, meanwhile, says residents are being left in limbo by the lack of notice when supply fails.
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