Northern Ireland in Water Crisis

Some 40,000 people are struggling to cope without water supplies in Northern Ireland, where frozen pipes have burst leaving some without fresh water for nine days. People have been forced to join long queues for bottled water. Photo retrieved from: www.msnbc.com

“BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Frustration and fear of disease mounted in Northern Ireland on Wednesday as 36,000 people remained without water, some for more than a week, after a deep freeze and a sudden thaw caused aging water pipes to burst.

With reservoirs running low, water supplies were cut off in many towns and cities, and residents turned to emergency water tankers and bottled water for cooking, cleaning and drinking.

“It’s been a nightmare,” said James Lawson, a resident of Lisburn, near Belfast, who has been without water for 13 days, the BBCreported.

“You can’t wash, you can’t eat because you can’t wash your dishes,” Mr. Lawson told the BBC. “I think it’s a fiasco.”

Scotland said it was sending 42,000 gallons of bottled water to help meet demand.

Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, called the situation “a grave crisis,” and said that people had been let down by their water supplier. The Northern Ireland government scheduled an emergency meeting for Thursday to discuss the matter.”

Read more: New York Times