Scottish Water has announced that they are still attempting to restore water supplies to around 1,500 homes across Scotland in the wake of Storm Arwen.
Several areas across the north-east don’t have have access to water after Storm Arwen left some of Scottish Water’s sites without power over the weekend.
Along with this, some vital equipment that is needed to treat and supply the network was damaged by fallen trees and other debris.
Most towns and villages affected are in more rural areas of Aberdeenshire. They include Braemar, Aberchirder, Lumsden, Rhynie, Lumphanan and Torphins.
Many of these homes are also without power, and SSEN has announced this could be the case until Wednesday.
10,000 properties affected
In total, around 10,000 properties have been affected by water supply issues in the last three days.
Though teams from Scottish Water have been working to restore supplies to everyone, there is still work to be done in the most badly affected areas. This is being made difficult by the fact that sites in many of these places are still being hit hard by bad weather.
Update – Around 1,500 properties are still without a water supply. Supply was interrupted due to a loss of power in some of the utility’s sites and also due to debris, including fallen trees, on equipment needed to treat and continually supply the network.
1/2— Andrew Bowie MP (@AndrewBowie_MP) November 29, 2021
Scottish Water has joined with local councils and power companies to rectify the situation as soon as possible.
Kes Juskowiak, water operations general manager at Scottish Water, said: “Every effort is being made to restore supply to all our customers left without water as a result of Storm Arwen – one the most significant weather events we have experienced in decades.
“We know some customers will have been without water for some time now and how vital to our everyday lives water is, that is why we are working round the clock to get issues resolved as quickly as possible.”
How can I get help if I have no water?
Several community groups and organisations across Aberdeenshire have opened their doors to those living without power and water in the wake of the storm.
Portable generators and booster pumps are continually being installed in areas where supply is still an issue.
Scottish Water has also been taking water into communities to try and help reduce the strain caused by the issues.
STORM ARWEN causing no water to residents in Aberdeenshire and Tayside. For customers affected by Storm Arwen please see our latest statement here: https://t.co/zUXYUzafZa
— Scottish Water (@scottish_water) November 28, 2021
Mr Juskowaik assured customers that Scottish Water is working as quickly as they can to get water supplies back up and running in affected areas.
He said: “Most of the remaining issues are in pockets of rural, and some cases very remote, areas where we have fewer pipes and less options to tanker water and rely on a power supply to get water supply restored. We continue to source and set up mobile generators at sites but this will take time throughout today.
“We apologise to customers and thank them for their patience whilst we work to restore supplies as quickly as possible. They can rest assured we are working day and night to get them back in supply.”
To check for any water supply issues or updates in your area, use Scottish Water’s interactive map.