Help urged to offer blind Conwy pensioner fresh mains water

John Jackson has looked after Ron Beech, who lives at Bryn locyn farm, for five years, but said his current situation regarding his water supply is “unacceptable”.

Mr Beech, a retired fireman, said he also fears for the cattle living on neighbouring farmland, who he worries will become dehydrated.

Currently, Mr Beech makes use of a private water supply which Mr Jackson helped to create, but this is seen only as a “temporary solution”.

Ron's private water supply (Image: John Jackson)

READ MORE:

Man drank lager in his car after officer stopped him in Betws-y-Coed

Air ambulance lands by Llandudno promenade amid ‘medical incident’

“I’d like Welsh Water to take serious interest in this,” Mr Jackson said.

“It’s difficult to believe, in this day and age, that an 88-year-old blind person can’t get fresh mains water. It’s unacceptable.

“He was paying a substantial water bill, so couldn’t understand what the problem was. I discovered his water for drinking came from a rainwater run-off well on his property.

“When we had a dry period, it often ran out and, in my opinion, wasn’t fit to drink.

“I spent a considerable amount of time talking to Welsh Water over a period of a couple of months, only to be told that nothing could be done other than install a new supply at the cost of £15,000.

“I found out where there was fresh water, which was upstream of his water meter, but without the pressure to reach his home.

“I built a small pump house, and he purchased a pump which I installed, that increased the pressure of the mains water which now reaches his home. 

“I consider it to be temporary solution since the pump won’t last forever and it is very susceptible to powers cuts, and his water get cut off.”

Ron Beech (Image: John Jackson)

Mr Jackson added that he would like Welsh Water to visit Mr Beech in the hope that a more long-term solution can be found.

During one particular spell of hot weather, he recalled, Mr Beech’s water supply dried up, causing him to have to go without for some time.

In the 1970s, a water supply was installed which passed through another property to reach the boundary of Mr Beech’s land, but this supply was never extended to his house.

When Mr Beech’s family died, he decided to extend the supply to the house, laying the pipe work himself in the late 1980s.

That supply lasted until the early 1990s; since then he has been reliant on the nearby well for water.

Mr Beech added: “It’s going to be awfully expensive for me if they find another supply, that’s for sure, because it must be nigh-on a quarter of a mile away.

“My concern is that, if there’s a summer drought and I’m indisposed and there’s nobody here, there’s going to be hell up here, with about 50 cattle all wanting a drink.”

Janet Finch-Saunders, MS for Aberconwy, was approached by Mr Jackson for help on the matter.

She said: “I have given advice and am now waiting to hear further from the constituent.

“I have confidence that Welsh Water will use every effort to resolve this difficult situation.”

Ron's private water supply (Image: John Jackson)

Private water supplies such as that which Mr Beech currently makes use of are a matter for local authorities; in this case, Conwy County Borough Council.

There are more than 600 properties served by a private water supply within the county.

A council spokesperson added: “Private water supplies include sources of water from springs, wells, boreholes and streams, but can include sources of water used for domestic or commercial purposes that does not come from the public water mains network supplied in Conwy by Welsh Water.

“We have statutory responsibility to monitor the quality of water consumed from private domestic water supplies that serve more than a single dwelling.

“If you have a private water supply and want to have the water tested, please fill in our online contact form.”

In response, a Welsh Water spokesperson said: “We have checked our records and can see that we did receive an enquiry about a new water supply for the property back in 2020. 

“We responded at the time with details of the options available. However, as yet, we have not received any response to our correspondence.

“To see if we can be of any further assistance, we are arranging for a member of our team to visit the property to discuss the content of our last correspondence and see if there is any further information we can provide.”