Published: Thursday, 20th November, 2008 09:30
Water chaos is condemned
By Steve McElroy
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EMERGENCY SUPPLIES: People queue for water.
Pic by: Petra Boyce
WATER supplies have returned to normal after a burst main caused a two-day drought in Helensburgh.
Thousands of people and business across the Burgh were affected after the pipe burst near Hermitage Academy on Monday morning.
Scottish Water mounted a huge operation to bring in lorry-loads of bottled supplies and 60 static tanks.
But the efforts to provide emergency supplies also provoked a scramble for bottles and there were reports of frantic efforts — even squabbles — among some people desperate to obtain supplies brought to the pier car park on Monday night.
One pregnant woman says she was trampled by a crowd who did nothing to help her and she spent most of the next day in hospital.
there were also claims the Kirkmichael area was left “high and dry” without any supplies delivered.
There were no restrictions on the number of bottles being issued to people and many drivers took advantage by loading up their cars. Police say they were called out to the pier car park to deal with vehicles which had been haphazardly parked and were causing blockages.
One Kirkmichael resident, Caroline Weintz, complained that the attitude from Scottish Water was “outrageous” and, despite concerns, her area had no bottled water deliveries.
The town began running dry from Monday morning after a mains pipe burst alongside Hermitage Academy and affecting 6,000 properties, including some in Rhu, although a few households did receive supplies diverted from outwith the area.
As taps ran dry a huge operation began to bring in bottles of water by lorry and provide static tanks around the burgh.
Schools managed to keep open using bottled water while old peoples homes received priority and issued with bottled water.
Most cafes in the town also managed to keep open and were reported to be busier than usual as people were able to get a hot drink.
Scottish Water engineers worked round the clock under floodlights to repair the massive fractured pipe and restore supplies but they were hampered by difficult ground conditions causing health and safety concerns for the workforce.
Bottles of water were delivered to the Pier, Kidston Park, Churchill Square and at the Victoria Halls but they were quickly snapped up.
On Tuesday there were queues of people anxiously waiting for bottled water which arrived in articulated lorries.
In Sinclair Street one woman struggled to find containers to fill from one of the static tanks.
Peter Farrer, Scottish Water Customer Services Director, said the burst main had happened in a difficult area and added: “Because of the ground conditions there were issues of health and safety and it is not an easy. A 500 metre diameter pipe was affected and although we managed to feed some supply into the are there were significant parts which were without water.”
By 6am yesterday (Wednesday) normal supplies had been restored and a Scottish Water spokesman said: “Engineers completed the repair of the burst main on Tuesday evening and the network was recharged during the night.
See this week's Advertiser for full story.
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