A broken tap at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital’s emergency department in Denbighshire ran continuously for nearly three months, resulting in the loss of over one million litres of water, according to reports. The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board stated the tap was repaired on October 26, but a sticker by the tap indicated that the issue was first reported on August 7.

Campaign group Let’s Save Water estimated that a running tap uses about 10 litres of water per minute. Based on this rate and the reported 81 days of continuous flow, the wasted volume could have reached approximately 1,166,400 litres.

The incident drew criticism from water conservation advocates. Nicci Russell, chief executive of Waterwise, described the water loss as “absolutely horrific” given the ongoing challenges posed by climate change and drought risks. She emphasized that current water infrastructure is not sufficiently resilient to meet the demands of a changing climate, highlighting that parts of Wales are still experiencing drought conditions.

Concerns were also raised by local officials. Denbighshire County Council member Chris Evans received footage of the flowing tap from a constituent on October 11. He commented that the situation reflected broader issues with the health board, criticizing its inability to address a problem that had persisted since early August.

The health board acknowledged that the fault was initially reported as a minor drip from a specialist clinical tap but said the issue worsened over time to a more significant flow. Arwel Hughes, the board’s operational estates chief, explained that while the replacement part was ordered promptly, repair was delayed until late October due to supplier lead times. He noted that considerations relating to the emergency department’s operational needs were factored into how the issue was managed during this period.

The prolonged water loss at a critical healthcare facility has underscored concerns about infrastructure maintenance and water resource management amid ongoing environmental challenges.