A major water crisis in North Wales left 100,000 people without water, causing trauma and chaos in the community as officials criticized the response.
The chaos started in Dolgarrog at the Bryn Cowlyd water treatment works. People were scrambling for water, and it was a real mess. Janet Finch-Saunders, a local politician, described it as heartbreaking. She said it was a humanitarian crisis.
Even after the water was supposed to be back on, some homes still had issues. It was frustrating for everyone involved. Finch-Saunders pointed out that this wasn’t just a minor disruption. People couldn’t access clean water at all.
She also criticized Dŵr Cymru for their slow response. They only set up two water stations for thousands of people. Can you believe that? People were waiting in long lines for hours.
The compensation offered was pretty low too. Just £30 for households and £75 for businesses for every 12 hours without water. That’s not enough for those who lost money.
Others in the Senedd echoed her concerns. They highlighted the poor communication and lack of support for vulnerable communities. It was a real eye-opener about how unprepared they were.
Darren Millar, another local leader, mentioned the chaos. People couldn’t even flush their toilets for days. He was upset that the chief executive of Dŵr Cymru didn’t even visit the affected areas.
Finally, the deputy first minister said the situation was resolved, but it took a lot of hard work. Volunteers helped distribute water, and engineers worked tirelessly to fix the issue. They’re promising improvements, but many are still shaken by the experience.
