Welsh Water Tap Water Warning Hits 24 South Wales Communities

Welsh Water issued a welsh water tap water warning for thousands of people across parts of south Wales after finding a problem at Maerdy Water Treatment Works. The company told affected residents to boil tap water before drinking, brushing teeth, preparing food or making ice.

The notice covers 24 named communities, including Blaenllechau, Ferndale, Maerdy, Porth, Treforest, Tonyrefail and Ynyshir. Welsh Water said people can check whether they are affected with its online postcode checker, while text messages were sent to impacted customers whose phone numbers are registered with the company.

Maerdy Water Treatment Works

Dŵr Cymru said it found an issue with the chemical process used to treat drinking water at its Maerdy Water Treatment Works during routine checks earlier this morning. The company then temporarily stopped water from the site entering the network while investigations and remedial work continued.

Welsh Water said customers would continue receiving water supplies and that no interruption to service was expected. That left households in the affected areas with a warning on how to use tap water, rather than a full supply cut.

Priority Services Register

Bottled water stations were being established after the notice was issued, and bottled water was due to be delivered directly to vulnerable customers registered on Welsh Water’s Priority Services Register. The company apologised for the disruption.

Residents in Ynyshir described learning about the notice through Facebook, texts or messages from family members, with one customer saying she had already drunk a litre of water before seeing the warning. Another resident said she worried whether elderly people were aware of what was happening, especially with the heatwave forecast for the weekend.

South Wales Communities

The affected areas are Blaenllechau, Bryngolau, Cymmer, Dinas, Edmondstown, Ferndale, Hopkinstown, Llwyncelyn, Maerdy, Tylorstown, Penrhys, Pontygwaith, Porth, Pwll Gwaun, Pantygraigwen, Treforest, Trebanog, Rhiwgarn, Tonyrefail, Tyn Y Bryn, Trehafod, Wattstown, Williamstown and Ynyshir. Welsh Water told residents to treat tap water as unsafe for drinking until further notice, using boiled water instead for the limited uses listed in the warning.