I have written to the CEO’s of both Yorkshire Water and Northern Powergrid following the issues with water supply across Rother Valley this weekend.
See my letter to Yorkshire Water below:
“I am writing further to the widespread loss of water pressure and supply following the power failure at Aughton Water Pumping Station, which affected residents across Aughton, Dinnington, Thurcroft, Anston, Wickersley, Kiveton Park and communities throughout S25, S26, S66, S80 and S81.
This email consolidates my previous correspondence. I am formally requesting a comprehensive written incident report, accompanied by a clear and time bound action plan. This must not be a general summary, but a structured review that sets out what happened, what went wrong, what worked, what must improve and how those improvements will be delivered.
The disruption was significant. Over 40,000 homes were affected. Many households were without water for approximately fourteen hours. Even after restoration, residents experienced low pressure and discoloured water while the network recovered. Schools, businesses and care homes contacted me in distress. Vulnerable residents were left anxious and uncertain.
My own village of Woodsetts was affected, with residents reporting loss of supply, yet early communications did not accurately reflect that the area was impacted. No bottled water delivery was made to the village. Similar concerns were raised in Todwick, Laughton en le Morthen, Dinnington and communities across S80 and S81, where provision was absent or significantly delayed.
Communication during the incident was a major concern. Initial updates did not include all affected postcodes. Some residents reported receiving no text alerts. Others were unaware of any formal updates at all. The website reportedly struggled under demand and residents described waiting up to two hours on the phone without meaningful resolution. I appreciate that this occurred on a Sunday. However, essential services must be resilient every day of the week. There must be sufficient staffing, escalation processes and tested methodologies in place to ensure communication remains reliable during major incidents.
The report I am requesting must therefore include a full review of communication performance, including geographic accuracy, SMS notification effectiveness, website resilience, contact centre surge capacity and stakeholder engagement. It must also outline a strengthened communications strategy for future incidents.
The report must also address the root cause of the electrical failure, the resilience and redundancy arrangements in place at Aughton Water Pumping Station, why those safeguards did not prevent widespread interruption and what infrastructure improvements will now be implemented. Lessons must be clearly identified and acted upon.
I am particularly concerned about the operation of the Priority Services Register. Vulnerable residents report not being proactively contacted and not receiving timely bottled water deliveries. I have been informed that some constituents registered on the Priority Services Register did not receive a delivery at all. In other cases, water was not delivered to the doorstep as required, but left at the end of a street, making it inaccessible for those with mobility or health limitations. This is a serious failing.
The report must provide a candid assessment of how vulnerable customers were identified, contacted and supported, why these gaps occurred and what urgent corrective measures will now be introduced. I also expect a proactive campaign across S25, S26, S66, S80 and S81 to increase awareness and registration to ensure vulnerable residents are properly safeguarded in future incidents.
There must be full transparency around bottled water distribution planning. How were delivery sites selected? What criteria informed prioritisation? Why were communities such as Woodsetts, Todwick and Laughton en le Morthen not provided with timely local provision? The report must clearly explain the methodology used and the changes that will ensure fair and comprehensive geographic coverage in the future.
Coordination with Independent Water Networks Limited, a New Appointment and Variation, or NAV, water company regulated by Ofwat and appointed to serve certain developments within your supply area, must also be reviewed. Residents expect seamless support regardless of supply structure. The report should set out how coordination operated and what improvements will be made.
Proper compensation is essential. Statutory minimum payments alone will not reflect the scale of disruption experienced. I expect the report to set out clearly the compensation framework that will apply, including any enhanced arrangements. I am determined to ensure that my constituents receive appropriate redress and I will continue to pursue this matter until that is secured.
Finally, I require a constituency specific contingency plan for S25, S26, S66, S80 and S81. This should detail pre identified bottled water sites, defined communication protocols, vulnerable customer activation procedures and surge response structures. My constituents must have confidence that if such an incident occurs again, the response will be faster, clearer and more equitable.
This incident has damaged public confidence in Yorkshire Water locally. The only way to rebuild that confidence is through transparency, accountability and demonstrable improvement.
I look forward to receiving the comprehensive report and accompanying action plan as soon as possible”
My letter to NPG is available to read in the attached images. If you experience any ongoing issues, please do contact my office directly by emailing: [email protected]
