Guernsey Water handles increased number of call outs due to wet weather

Guernsey Water is reporting a significant rise in calls from customers as heavy rainfall
continues to create surface water issues across the Island.
 
The utility's teams are currently working at full capacity to handle problems caused by
increased water flows and a saturated water table across the island. Met Office rainfall data
for January recorded 188.4mm rainfall compared to a 30 year average (1981-2010) of
92.5mm.
 
Steve Langlois, Guernsey Water's Managing Director, confirmed a combination of the wet
weather, staff self-isolating and social distancing protocols due to Covid-19 were also having
an impact.
 
"Our Belle Greve Wastewater centre has coped well with significantly increased flows, but
elsewhere across the island we are experiencing flooding and surface water issues. Our
wastewater pumping stations are running at capacity, so much so that we have just installed
a temporary pump to help relieve pressure and divert flows from our Les Landes station in
order to help alleviate upstream flooding.
 
"A further challenge for us at this time is reduced team sizes due to Covid restrictions and
self isolation currently taking place, with this in mind we would like to ask our customers to
bear with us, our teams are working as hard as they can, we are responding to emergency
calls and the most urgent cases first, this generally means the imminent threat of flooding
into customer homes."
 
Mr Langlois added "We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for
their understanding so far; we're all in this together."  
 
Despite these issues, which are centred around a number of flooding hotspots, the utility is
reassuring customers that water supply and wastewater services are being provided as
normal.

• Feedback
• 24 Hour Contact Number 01481 229500