A DELUGE of water problems hit thousands of homes across Wales including parts of Anglesey and Gwynedd.

As the ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma moved on, the weather left behind burst pipes and leaking infrastructure.

As demand surged and water authorities battled repairs some 6,000 homes were initially affected, reduced to 3,000 on Monday.

Welsh Water/D?r Cymru said it “sincerely apologised” to customers and that extreme weather conditions had presented “unprecedented

challenges”.

But local politicians and residents criticised Welsh Water D?r Water for its slow response and “poor” customer service.

Isle of Anglesey county councillor Carwyn Jones said it was “ridiculous” and that people on Anglesey had felt “abandoned”.

He said: “There were hundreds of houses with no water for three days, D?r Cymru should at minimum have water tankers going around.

“I am thankful to the men and women working on the ground tying to repair.

“However, the emergency response by the company has been poor and left many feeling abandoned.

“They are lacking basic customer service.

“Three days without flushing a toilet - five using one toilet - is no joke.

“There are also vulnerable people struggling without water.”

Anglesey AM Rhun Ap Iorweth said: “I now understand that there are about 200 properties still affected, a figure that is, of course, still worrying.

“It is very important for me that the most vulnerable people get all the support, and I urge people to phone 0800 052 0130 to report any special needs they have.

“The system is now ‘pressurised’, but some specific properties on sub-networks are still without water due to ‘air blocks’, or perhaps because water is still leaking.

“I also understand that bottled water is going to continue to be distributed in Llanddona and Llangoed.”

Einir Wyn Williams, a nurse at Ysbyty Gwynedd, was without water from Sunday lunchtime until Tuesday night at her home in Caim, Llangoed.

“We had to use rain water collected in a tub to flush the loo and I spent over £10 on bottled water from Lidl,” she said. “I also had to take my shower at work.

“The water is back now, but it is just a trickle. No one told us anything, it has been a nuisance.”

A Welsh Water

spokesman said: “About 200 customers in parts of east Anglesey and the Ll?n Peninsula are still experiencing problems.

“We have bottled water stations set up in areas and have contacted customers to keep them updated, while also prioritising support for our most vulnerable customers throughout.”

Cllr Jones added: “Dwr Cymru should be upgrading their systems and emergency response and compensating those that have suffered.”