Written question WQ97196

Maintenance and repair of the water supply network is the responsibility of the relevant water company, however regulations and guidance are in place that set the requirements water companies must meet when responding to events that impact on their services. This includes the minimum amount of alternative water that must be provided per person within the first 24 hours of an incident. The Drinking Water Inspectorate is responsible for regulating water companies’ compliance with the regulations and guidance.

In situations in which a burst water main could cause significant disruption and impacts on the population, Welsh Government are closely involved in multi-agency response arrangements put in place by Local Resilience Forum partners to ensure the risks are managed as swiftly as possible. Multi-agency debrief sessions are also held following incidents to evaluate the response and to discuss lessons learnt that can be applied in future incidents.

Welsh Government officials are in regular and direct contact with water companies during incidents, standing ready to provide additional support as needed, including engaging with the UK Government as appropriate.