Dunbeath wellbeing hub at centre of efforts to keep water flowing after burst
Dunbeath and District Centre distributed 3600 litres of drinking water to households in east Caithness when a water mains burst in the county.
Scottish Water was alerted to the major leak last week and urgent repairs were carried out once the location of the burst had been identified.
The utility firm worked to repair the pipe on Tuesday and Wednesday, below the A9 at Achavanich, as 850 homes in Wick and east Caithness had their water supply affected.
Dunbeath and District Centre’s emergency status was activated around 6pm on Tuesday, January 3, to act as a welfare collection point for fresh bottled water supplied by Scottish Water.
The burst on the 14-inch trunk main affected properties in postcode areas KW1, KW3, KW5 and KW6 in Caithness.
Engaging with Scottish Water secured an initial delivery of 120 cases of bottled water – a total of 720 two-litre bottles – to the Community Health and Wellbeing Centre in Dunbeath.
Operational growth manager Daniel Macleod coordinated the emergency status plan and circulated information via social media and telephone calls, to get the word out that supplies were available for anyone who was able to come and collect for themselves, their neighbours and friends or family who may not be digitally connected.
Volunteers were called in to help distribute water supplies to other vulnerable users on the centre's list, with over 40 households receiving deliveries of fresh bottled water along with checking that those in their homes were safe and well.
As well as making the bottled water available, the centre's Community Sharing Shack was opened between 6pm and 10.30pm for anyone in the affected communities to use.
Shortly after 9pm, Mr Macleod requested more stocks of fresh water as the bottles were running out quickly. Another 60 cases were delivered to the centre at 10pm by Scottish Water, which lasted into the early hours of Wednesday, January 4.
The centre reopened early on the Wednesday to support the communities and release more social updates on the fresh water supply levels along with reopening the Community Sharing Shack.
At 7am more stocks of bottled water were requested as the main water supply was not yet restored. Scottish Water delivered a further 120 cases of bottled water to the collection point, which was able to serve the communities until the repair was fixed and the water supply was fully restored.
A total of 1800 bottles, 3600 litres of fresh water, made their way around the KW1, KW3, KW5 and KW6 areas in Caithness from the collection point.
Mr Macleod said: "Thanks to Scottish Water for their quick reaction and support in getting the bottled water to collection points, and also to our wonderful team of volunteers who went out in force in the immediate area to make sure the most vulnerable were checked on."
Scottish Water said "significant efforts" had been made "to complete this complex repair and restore the water supply to hundreds of households".
“Thank you to those affected for their patience, and we apologise once again for the inconvenience," a spokesperson added.