Water supply disruptions affect busy visitor centre 18/8/11
Catering manager Gregor Macleod washing up at the Callanish Visitors Centre
The busiest tourist centre in the Western Isles at the world famous Callanish Stones
risks turning away hordes of visitors as a plague of water shortages hits the community-
A series of bursts in decrepit underground pipes has left the district without water
supplies on at least 15 occasions in the last seven months -
Furious residents are threatening to refuse to pay their water rates and maintain utility company Scottish Water is keeping them in the dark.
The Callanish Visitors Centre is an important local employer and provides meals and teas for many of the tens of thousands of visitors who come from across the globe to experience the ancient megaliths, Scotland’s Stonehenge.
A lack of water not only affects cooking but has a hygiene and health impact as water is required for washing up and the operation of toilets.
Bryan Barrett, chairman of the community-
With bus loads of tourists looking for food and refreshments, “it is quite stressful and very difficult for the centre staff when there’s no water,” he said.
Some village residents are planning to withhold their water charges as a result..
Isles’ SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan said he has taken up the issue of burst pipes across Lewis with Scottish Water.
He said: “In Callanish people have been suffering repeated disruptions since Christmas, which I appreciate is a very frustrating situation for them.
“More recently there have been problems in a number of areas of Stornoway.”
He added: “The number of interruptions this year to the water supply in Callanish in particular is unacceptable, as is the lack of information being provided to those who complain.”
I have also asked if they will explain to the households in the area why this keeps happening, whether there are plans to tackle and resolve the situation.”
Scottish Water said that upgrading the system in parts of west Lewis is a priority.
The utility firm highlights it has “invested tens of millions in the Western Isles in recent years, well above the Scottish average while keeping charges frozen at less than a pound a day on average.”
It is “continuing to invest as we have thousands of miles of pipes across a very rural area. We target our investment where it is most needed.”