Residents in Pontycymer, Bridgend county, are reportedly facing prosecution if they do not pay approximately £7,000 each to repair a water pipe serving their homes. Five households were informed by Welsh Water that a leak from the shared pipe requires repair at their own expense. The water company states it does not own or manage the pipe, making it the responsibility of the property owners. Residents have been given an 11-day deadline to address the issue.
Nerys Walters, one of the affected residents, described the situation as a nightmare, causing significant stress over the past two years. She stated that insurance companies have refused to cover the costs because Welsh Water has not provided evidence of the leak's location, which is a requirement for insurance claims.
"This has been going on for about a year and a half now and we've been asking for that evidence ever since but have been given nothing," Walters said. "No evidence of the leak, and no reason as to why they adopted other pipes in the street but not ours."
The estimated cost includes replacing the rear water pipe in their back gardens with a new pipe at the front of the terraced row, with individual connections to each house. Contractors have quoted residents upwards of £1,000 per meter for the work. Welsh Water has offered to fund a new line that runs parallel to the property fronts, but the residents would still be responsible for the cost of connecting it from the gate and through their houses to the rear stopcock.