RESIDENTS and a herd of around 130 cows are still without water, more than two weeks on from when problems first started.
Despite the fault at the Easton Supply Works being fixed, residents in Kings Worthy have once again woken up to little to no water.
Southern Water has said that this is a separate issue, with customers being impacted during the morning when there is peak demand.
Family dairy farm, Cross Valley Milk in Lovedon Lane, relies on having water and high pressure to look after more than 130 animals and produce milk.
If the water stops in the middle of pasteurising the team must start the entire process all over again by washing through and re-pasteurising.
READ MORE: Winchester residents have 'had enough' of Southern Water issues
Nicky Shergold, who looks after the business’ finances, said: “It’s been really difficult. We are a very small family business and we can’t afford problems like this. Stressed is an understatement, we don’t know what the situation is going to be every morning and sometimes it’s different for the depot which is just down the track from the farm.
“Southern Water send out automated messages but you’re left hung and dry and not knowing what you are going to do. We’re not sleeping. The impact is massive. Without water the milk yield goes down and so we struggle financially.
“We need water for the cows and the welfare of the animals. They are kept in a lot at this time of year. If they’ve had any water over the last two weeks it’s been a trickle which affects the yield of the milk.
“Southern Water delivered some water to us but it was all bottled which wasn’t that useful or sensible for us. Think of all the plastic.
“Everything has to be washed and at force. All the tanks need to be cleaned with pressure so they are done properly. All the bottles need to be washed in boiling hot water.
“My husband arrives in the morning to pasteurise the milk and they can’t because there is no water. We contemplated sending staff home because we had no water and we didn’t know when it would come back. We considered cancelling deliveries too but we have a big elderly community who rely on our deliveries.
“If we didn’t use the milk it would have had to be dumped. It’s the not knowing that gets us. If we could get hold of someone and get a gauge on what’s happening we could at least plan our day.”
The Worthys ward councillor, Steve Cramoysan, said: “We have had pockets of time with water over the weekend but people have lost confidence now. They keep being told it’s been fixed when there are obviously still issues.
SEE ALSO: Second weekend of water woes for residents as burst pipes plague villages
“A lot of people in the Worthy community are suffering with no water and getting frustrated and angry. People need to know they can rely on their water supply.
“Everyone is saying they can’t get through to Southern Water and are receiving no assurance. Standard messages when you are 10 days in no longer work, we need much more precise communication on what is happening and what needs to be fixed.
“The real problem is that Southern Water has failed to invest in infrastructure and it can’t cope with the amount of people. I’m not criticising the people on the ground because they are completely exhausted trying to fix all these issues.”
A spokesperson for Southern Water said today: “We’re sorry customers in parts of Kings Worthy are experiencing low pressure and temporary loss of supply during the morning peak demand.
“We have a team in the area investigating the underlying cause of this issue so we can resolve this as soon as possible."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here