Thousands of residents and businesses across Flintshire, Wales, have endured days without water after a major burst water main in Broughton caused widespread outages beginning on August 14, 2025. The crisis, which affected communities from Deeside to the Flintshire coast as far as Talacre, has now entered its resolution phase, but disruptions are expected to linger into the weekend, with some customers unlikely to see their supply restored until Sunday, August 17.
According to Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru), the emergency began when a temporary fix applied the previous weekend failed, necessitating a full emergency repair. The company reported, “We are extremely sorry about this disruption as it is longer than we had hoped but the repair has proved challenging given that the water main is five metres deep and surrounded by underground utility cables.” The complexity of the repair, with the main located four to five metres underground and surrounded by other critical infrastructure, meant that crews had to work with exceptional care, prolonging the outage.
For residents, the timing could hardly have been worse. The outage hit during a summer heatwave, leaving some in Ffynnongroew and neighboring villages facing up to five days without water. As one resident told North Wales Live, “This has a huge effect on our business and we know the compensation will not be equal to the loss of income, wages and stock.” The Letty Hotel in Mostyn and The White Bear pub in Mancot were among local businesses forced to shut their doors, while Point of Ayr Holiday Park in Talacre reported running dry and directed guests to alternative filling points at other Lyons holiday parks in Denbighshire.
Welsh Water responded by setting up bottled water distribution stations at key locations: Jade Jones Pavilion in Flint (CH6 5ER), Park & Ride Car Park in Deeside Industrial Park (CH5 2NY), and County Hall Car Park in Mold (CH7 6NF). The company urged, “We ask that customers only take the bottled water that is needed. If customers have any elderly or vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours we urge you to check in with them to ensure they have bottled water.” Despite these efforts, demand sometimes outpaced supply, with reports of the Flint station running out of bottled water early in the morning and long queues forming at collection points.
Welsh Water also prioritized support for the most vulnerable, delivering bottled water directly to those on their Priority Services Register, as well as maintaining supplies to two hospitals and 20 care homes. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board confirmed that water tankers were deployed to hospitals in Deeside and Holywell, ensuring no disruption to essential medical services. The health board advised, “We are advising people who are attending appointments at Holywell and Deeside community hospitals to attend your appointments unless contacted otherwise.”
Public Health Wales issued guidance to help residents cope, emphasizing the importance of staying hydrated, maintaining hygiene by washing hands or using alcohol gel, and taking special care when preparing baby formula. Their advice included, “Bottled water supplied by Welsh Water is safe to use. Boil the water and allow it to cool before making up feeds.”
The knock-on effects rippled through the community. Flintshire Council instructed businesses to close if they could not provide adequate water for toilets, handwashing, and drinking, citing legal requirements for hygiene. The local authority also warned of possible bin lorry delays near water stations due to traffic congestion and announced office closures at Ewloe and Flint. The Hft charity, which supports learning-disabled adults, closed all its Flintshire Day Services on August 15 because of the water shortage.
Community spirit, however, was on full display. Local councillor Ant Turton, representing Hawarden-Mancot, took matters into his own hands by sourcing bottled water from Kinmel Bay and distributing it in Mancot when local supplies ran out. Residents in Ffynnongroew and Talacre also received direct deliveries of bottled water, and neighbors checked in on vulnerable individuals. Even the Riverlink Donkey and Animal Sanctuary in Mancot issued an “urgent” appeal for water, highlighting the widespread impact on both people and animals.
Welsh Water’s chief executive, Peter Perry, addressed the public directly, stating, “Our teams are working tirelessly to carry out the repair safely and as soon as they can so that supplies can be restored to homes and businesses in the area. We also have a fleet of tankers moving water around the network in the area to minimise disruption to as many customers as possible.” He acknowledged the frustration, especially among those who experienced similar outages just days earlier, and emphasized that compensation would be provided automatically: “Household customers will receive £30 for every 12 hours they’ve been off supply. Business customers will get an automatic payment of £75 for every 12 hours and will also be able to claim for any loss of income.”
Welsh Water’s open letter to customers, published on their website, further outlined the compensation process and reassured the public of ongoing support: “We have confirmed compensation arrangements and also issued an open letter to our customers here.” The company also promised a full review of the incident and its response once the crisis has fully subsided.
The technical challenge of refilling the affected water network, which stretches over 500 kilometers, means that the restoration process must be gradual to avoid causing secondary bursts. Welsh Water explained, “The work of re-filling the water network has also started. This will take time as we need to avoid causing any secondary bursts on this extensive network.” Most supplies were expected to return by Saturday, but full restoration for all customers was not anticipated until Sunday.
As the community looks forward to the return of normal water service, the incident has underscored the vulnerability of essential infrastructure and the importance of coordinated emergency response. The patience and resilience shown by Flintshire’s residents, businesses, and volunteers have been remarkable, even as frustrations over the duration and impact of the outage remain fresh in many minds. Welsh Water’s commitment to compensation and a thorough review of the event offers some assurance that lessons will be learned—and hopefully, future disruptions will be met with even swifter solutions.
