Help and support during an incident
Our teams work hard to provide world class services to our customers. Ensuring customers have uninterrupted services is our key priority.
Burst mains and faults on the network can lead to interruptions to your supply. We try to minimise the impact on customers and we aim to complete the repairs as soon as we can.
Helpful Links
How we’ll keep you updated during an incident
We publish the latest updates on our website.
Our social media pages are updated regularly and you can find updates on our X and Facebook pages – make sure you follow us.
If we have your contact details, we can contact you via text messages, email and landline to let you know when your supply will return.
Sign up for our emails and let us know your up-to-date contact telephone number here.
Providing alternative water during an incident
What we will do
For prolonged incidents we will provide bottled water to customers who may have experienced a loss of supply, via alternative water stations.
Once these sites are open, we’ll publish their locations on our website, social media, send text messages and/or emails.
Please keep an eye out for elderly relatives or neighbours who might need help in getting hold of bottled water and consider supporting them by picking up water on their behalf.
Restrictions on water use
If we issue a notice asking you either not to use your water or to boil before use, it will be due to tests suggesting the water doesn’t meet strict safety rules.
A Boiled Water Notice/Do Not Drink will be issued directly to customers affected through text messaging, email and by post and will have the necessary formatting requirements such as braille, large print to meet your needs if known. Information will also be posted on our website, social media channels and through the media.
We will notify you directly when your supply has returned to normal.
What you can do
You may want to consider keeping bottled water in your house for emergency use. It has a long shelf life and all you need to do is keep it stored in a cool, dark place (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
If you or someone in your household is on dialysis, please discuss with your medical team to make sure the mineral levels in bottled water are safe for you.
Your medical team can also help you put together a simple backup plan, so you know exactly what to do if your water supply is ever interrupted.
Advice for households with babies and young children
The bottled water we provide will meet the same water quality standards that apply to tap water. If you use it to make up infant formula, the water should be treated like tap water and be boiled (to sterilise it) before it is used. The advice given by the NHS for making up infant formula can be found here.
Bottled water purchased from a retailer will also need to be boiled (to sterilise it) before making up infant formula. However, you must check the label before using it. If the water contains more than 200 mg/L of sodium or 250 mg/L of sulphate it should not be used to make up infant formula.
Priority Services Register
If you are already known to us on the Priority Services Register, we will support you during any incidents that affect your water supply.
This support can include:
- Tailored assistance based on your individual needs, with different tiers to ensure help reaches those who need it most, such as those medically dependent on water
- Extra support during unplanned supply interruptions or emergencies
- Delivery of bottled water to our most vulnerable customers within 12 hours if your supply is affected
- Advance notice where possible, so you have time to store water before any planned work
- Information on local water stations opening in your area during an incident and advanced notice provided
- Regular updates to keep you informed of progress until your supply is restored
- Alternative communication formats such as large print, Braille or accessible documents
- Help for customers who rely on water for essential medical equipment
- A dedicated team trained to support customers in vulnerable situations
- Regular checks to make sure we have up to date information, so we can respond quickly during incidents
If you aren’t currently on our Priority Services Register, you can join online here or by calling our team on 0800 052 0145.
Identifying our staff
Everyone who works for Welsh Water carries an ID card and is happy to show it. Usually, we drive vans with the Welsh Water logos on. Sometimes we use contractors, who may drive different company vans, but they’ll still have their own ID card and will follow the same rules as regular Welsh Water people.
Compensation
During an incident, if we haven’t restored your supply within 12 hours:
- We will pay our household customers £30
- And pay a further £30 for every 12 hours the water supply remains interrupted
Business customers will receive:
- £75 for the first 12 hours
- And a further £75 for every 12 hours they are without a supply.
These payments will be made within 20 working days. Read more about support during incidents from Ofwat (the economic regulator for water) and the CCW (the consumer body for water).