Broken hospital tap wastes a million litres of water
LDRSMore than a million litres of water may have been lost by a broken tap left running at a hospital for almost three months.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the tap, in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department, was fixed on October 26 - but a sticker by it shows the matter was reported on 7 August.
According to the Let's Save Water campaign, funded by water companies, a running tap wastes 10 litres a minute, which is 600 litres an hour or 14,400 litres a day.
The health board said any decision to remove the facility from use had to be balanced against potential impact on patient care.
From 7 August to October 26 is 81 days, including start and end days.
That means as much as 1,166,400 litres of water may have gone down the drain at the hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire.
According to Welsh Water it charges £1.5889 per 1,000 litres for non-households, which comes to £1,853.29 for 1,166,400 litres.
Not-for-profit Waterwise, which dubs itself the UK's leading independent voice on water efficiency, was appalled.
Chief executive Nicci Russell said: "This is an absolutely horrific waste of water when we can scarcely afford to be wasting water.
"The climate change committee is telling us drought is one of our top three climate risks.
"Our current water systems are not even fit for the current climate let alone what is coming - parts of Wales are still in drought."
Russell said water scarcity was a national emergency.
She said: "Identifying leaks of this kind is one part of the problem. This hospital clearly did identify it - it would be interesting to know how long it was before it was reported."
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Denbighshire County Council member Chris Evans was sent a video of the tap, shot on 11 October, by a constituent.
He said: "It sums up what is wrong with Betsi, that they can't even sort a running tap that's been running since August."
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd is managed by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which has been in special measures for much of the last decade.
Evans said: "Things are not getting any better with the health board, are they? If we can't sort the basics out, how are we going to sort these things out for the patients?
"It's not good for the environment. It's a waste of water. Why can't we just replace the tap? It shows how bad Betsi is."
Water watchdog Ofwat said: "Finding and fixing customer-side leaks is essential to achieving better water resilience, securing water supplies for everyone.
"By proactively identifying and fixing leaks, customers can reduce their water bills and minimise the risk of costly property damage and unexpected repair bills."
Betsi's operational estates chief, Arwel Hughes, said: "The fault reported to our estates team was identified as a minor drip from a specialist clinical tap, which subsequently deteriorated to a more substantial flow.
"Although a replacement part was ordered from the manufacturer promptly, repair was delayed until Monday 26 October due to supplier lead times."
Consideration, Hughes said, was given to emergency department's requirements.
"Any decision to isolate or remove the facility from use had to be carefully balanced against the potential impact on patient care, including the availability of essential handwashing facilities within a busy clinical environment," he said.
"We are currently working with our suppliers to review and improve the availability and lead times of specialist replacement parts, in order to reduce future repair times."
