Parts Of Cumbria Without Water After Storm Ciara

Storm Ciara may have passed us by at last but her effects are still very much being felt, with homes and businesses across Cumbria now left without water after a mains pipe near Kendal was damaged.

United Utilities said “horrendous” weather conditions were getting in the way of repairs, with around 8,000 properties at risk of having to go without water for days, the BBC reports.

Parts of the region affected include Shap, Glenridding, Threlkeld, Ivegill, Low Braithwaite, Ravenstonedale, Orton and Appleby, with the water supplier saying that it could be the end of the week before the main is repaired – but again, this would depend on weather conditions.

Typical use for this area is around 11 million litres of water a day and seven million litres is now being pumped in daily – which, as United Utilities’ Dr Martin Padley explained, means that “we have a shortfall of about four million litres, so unfortunately people will see low pressure and ultimately no water at all. Even after we get the pipe fixed, it will take time to refill what is a huge system”.

The supplier has also confirmed today (February 12th) that a farmers water helpline has been set up as pipe repairs are ongoing. There is now a dedicated team in place at the water company that is helping farmers ensure their livestock has access to water supplies.

Any farmers who need support are being called on to get in touch, with 70 farmers already having special arrangements made for them. Progress has been made on the pipe repairs and a new one has been assembled, due to be installed over the next few hours.

Because of the length of the pipe network, it will take time for water pressure to build up once the pipe has been fully repaired. It is also possible that some people may see some discolouration in the water, as pipe sediment could have been disturbed.

There are numerous places where you can go to collect bottled water and get more information from staff from United Utilities. These include Glenridding Village Hall in Penrith, The Crown Inn in Ivegill, Market Square in Kirkby Stephen and Moot Hall in Appleby-in-Westmorland.

While Storm Ciara may have been and gone, everyone around the UK should perhaps remain on high alert, since the Met Office has said we can soon expect to see Storm Dennis hit our shores.

Apparently, we can expect heavy rain, coupled with widespread strong winds to many parts of the country, although you’ll be glad to hear the impact isn’t expected to be as extreme as the last few days have been.

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