Issues over Trecwn street water supply highlighted

CONTINGENCY plans are in place if water issues escalate in an area of north Pembrokeshire fighting for its own mains supply.

Newly elected Cllr Delme Harries was the latest member to raise the issues encountered by residents of Barham Road in Trecwn, who have endured problems with a private water supply to their homes for a number of years.

This includes being supplied bottled water after it was found that the tap water in their street was “unfit for human consumption” in 2019.

Now, Cllr Harries has raised concerns about the predicted heatwave and the threat of a “drought position” on the street due to leakages and unreliability of supply.

Cllr Harries’ submission to council states:

“Pembrokeshire County Council must take the lead to support the residents of Barham Road in Trecwn to get a solution finalised for the long outstanding water and road surfacing issues.  These residents pay Council Tax the same as residents throughout Pembrokeshire and need the support of the Council to get this resolved once and for all.  It is not acceptable in these days to have to rely on the delivery of bottled water for consumption,”

Assistant chief executive Richard Brown said there were “contingency plans in general terms” and a bottle water supply if necessary, adding theses arrangements “will still fall short of a piped water supply, which is less than adequate.”

He heard from cabinet member Cllr Michelle Bateman, who said that although “not progressing as quickly as hoped” there were plans to work with Dwr Cymru to laying a mains water connection and connecting the houses to it, and “thereafter recoup the costs of installation from residents.”

A number of committee meetings had been held, she said, and currently testing indicates that the private water supply is of a “satisfactory quality.”