A LOCAL councillor has welcomed the news that Welsh Water has pledged to repair a long-standing leak at Penparc Reservoir, near Cardigan.

For a number of years residents of Penparc have claimed the leak has resulted in thousands of gallons of water running down Penparc Hill on the nearby A487 trunk road.

The problem was brought into sharp perspective during the recent cold snap when water apparently running from the 60-year-old reservoir froze on the side of the carriageway.

“This clearly created a dangerous situation which is why officers from Ceredigion County Council and the South Wales Trunk Road Agency came out to have a look at it,” county councillor Clive Davies told the Tivyside.

“It’s a frustrating and worrying situation – Welsh Water at one stage was insisting there was no leak. Now it says there is one and that it will be repaired.

He described the delay in finding a solution to the problems as ‘unacceptable’.

“This has been going on for a number of years now and it’s high time they sorted it out,” said Cllr Davies. “This is not something that’s going to be put to one side – it needs to be resolved now.

“I can’t help thinking what the repercussions would be if there was an accident at that location and water on the carriageway was found to be the cause.

“Villagers in Penparc tell me there has been no drop in pressure, which suggests to me that this is not a major leak but nevertheless one that still results in water running onto the A487 and down the hill.”

A Welsh Water spokesperson said: "We are aware of the leak running adjacent to the A487 in Cardigan which we are carefully monitoring.

"While we have carried out some investigations and repairs, we do still need to undertake out some further investigations.

"We aim to do this as soon as the surrounding ground has dried so that we can better pinpoint the source of the water."