Mains Water Supply Issues are affecting NHS Services in Llandrindod Wells
Thank you for our patience.
Welsh Water are dealing with water supply issues affecting Llandrindod Wells and some surrounding areas. These issues are also affecting the water supply to NHS services in the area and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
More information about how to deal with water supply issues is available from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.
Top Tips for coping without mains water (from Public Health Wales):
This practical and health advice for managing in the home with disrupted or no mains water should be read together with latest information from your water company regarding the safety of the water supply.
Follow the advice
If you have a mains water supply, follow the advice of your local water company, which has a duty to protect public health. If there are problems with the supply then alternative water will be made available, such bottled water or bowsers (large water transporters), but in the meantime consumers may be advised to boil tap water before drinking it.
Boiling water for use in the home
If your water company has advised you to boil your tap water, this will be for drinking and for food preparation. This water should be brought to a boil and then allowed to cool before it is used. In these circumstances it is safe to use unboiled tap water to prepare food that is to be cooked, and for cooking if it will be boiled during the cooking process.
Boiling water can scald, so it is safer to use a kettle rather than pots and pans. If you must, use pots and pans then take care with young children and vulnerable people. Keep panhandles turned inwards so that children cannot reach them. Water from the hot tap is not suitable for drinking in any circumstance.
Bowsers
Your water company may provide extra supplies of water through bowsers placed locally. This water should be safe to drink, but it requires boiling before use because the containers people use to transfer water from bowser to home may not be clean.
If your mains water is turned off
Only boiled bowser water or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, cooking and making ice. If there is no gas or electricity available to householders to boil water then bottled water should be used in all circumstances.
Cleaning water containers and taps
Use an appropriately diluted bleach solution or sterilising tablets, following the manufacturer’s instructions, to clean containers such as bowls and buckets. If your home has been flooded, ensure the water taps are cleaned with hot water and detergent before using them for the first time after the flood. Before starting to use the mains water again, allow the taps to run for a few minutes, as this should clear the pipes.
Water from a private supply
If a private supply from a well or spring has been covered by floodwater it may be affected. If the water changes colour, taste or smell, or you are concerned, then ring your local council for advice. In the meantime, assume the water is unsafe to drink unless it is boiled, or source an alternative supply. Continue to boil the water until the supply has been tested and shown to be safe.
Flushing the toilet
Flush toilets only for solid waste – you do not need to flush after urinating. If you have no mains water then save all water used for washing, cooking or washing up in buckets for flushing. Other sources of water, such as garden water butts, can also be used
for flushing.
If the toilet is blocked then look for other facilities nearby, such as those of unaffected family, friends, neighbours, public toilets, portaloos, rest centres, local shops, supermarkets and hotels.
Formula feed for babies without mains water supply
Ideally use boiled bowser or bottled water, left covered to cool for no more than half an hour. Alternatively, use ready-made formula milk.
If there is no power for boiling and you do not have ready-made formula, bottled water can be used without boiling, but the prepared feed should then be used immediately. Do not use unboiled bowser water to make formula milk.
Bottled water from your water company will be safe to use for baby feed. If you buy your own bottled water, be aware that some natural mineral water may have a high sodium content. Look at the label for sodium or ‘Na’ and check its level is not higher than 200mg per litre. If it is, then try to use another water supply. If no other water is available then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated.
Bathing children without mains water
If the water company has advised that the mains supply is unsafe for drinking then it is safer not to use this for bathing infants. In this situation boiled bowser water or bottled water are alternatives. Baby wipes can also be used for hand cleansing and washing infants.
Cleaning contact lenses
Tap water or bowser water should never be used for cleaning or storing contact lenses as this could cause a rare but serious eye infection.