McGuinness calls for sackings at water company
Heads should roll at the failed water company which has left thousands of people in the North cut off, the deputy First Minister said tonight.
Martin McGuinness warned people needed to be held accountable after pregnant mothers, families with young children and the elderly were without water for days.
Although the situation is improving, Northern Ireland Water said it could be next week before some remote areas are fixed.
Mr McGuinness said: "There has to be accountability and we are not going to under those circumstances stand here and make excuses for a body that has so miserably failed our citizens."
First Minister Peter Robinson added: "There has to be an accountability for what has taken place and we don't think anybody could suggest NIW have covered themselves with any glory over the past days and people must assess their positions."
He said if they did not others could assess them for them.
The ministerial Executive met at Stormont today to discuss an emergency which has left reservoirs low and tens of thousands of homes without water as NIW rotates service to conserve supplies.
The company has blamed much of the leakage on private businesses which have not been checked following this month's unprecedented cold spell.
But the Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said work would continue to bring the arms-length body back into central government and there will be a review to try and ensure a repeat does not happen.
Extra staff have been drafted in to man call centres and extra tankers and engineers could also be on their way to the North, Mr Robinson said.
The First Minister said: "We are not satisfied with the performance and are absolutely determined that it will not be repeated."
He added: "It has been shambolic at stages, it has been ineffective, it has not been the kind of organisation that has been fit for purpose."
The deputy First Minister said ministers were furious at NIW's performance.
Around 6,000 customers have had no water since December 27. A further 3,500 to 60,000 have interrupted supplies for up to eight hours as they are rotated between areas.
NIW hopes to restore supplies in south Belfast later tonight after a main reservoir experienced difficulties. The company has increased the supply of water to customers to the highest level ever, increasing from 600 million litres per day to 850 million litres per day (over 40% more than normal).
This increase in demand is largely because of leakage from bursts on private properties. On one property, NIW located a burst pipe which was draining 2.5 million litres from the system, the equivalent of the water supply for between 2,000 and 3,000 homes.
Many healthcare centres, including hospitals, had experienced problems with water supplies and burst pipes. Residential and nursing homes, mainly in the Belfast area, have also had some difficulties with water supplies.
People are being urged to use disinfectant wipes to guard against the dangers of flu if they have no water.
South Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon has been relying on the fire service and bottled water. Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn was without water for a number of hours. Eighty villages and towns have been affected as pipes burst in the thaw.
The thaw followed the worst snow in the North in 25 years and record cold temperatures. As temperatures rose, burst pipes drained reservoirs, forcing NIW to turn off the tap to the 80 locations. Some people have been without water for 12 days.
The Stormont Executive has accepted bottled water from Scotland. Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said while the Westminster government had a lot of pressures on its budget, it was also ready to help.
Local councils are working to supply water and offer free showers to people without a mains supply.
