'It's a disgrace!' Anger as homes and businesses across Berwickshire left without running water for a third day
Last updated 28th Aug 2025
There's anger in Berwickshire over Scottish Water's response to a "catastrophic failure" of a burst pipe at Rawburn treatment works, near Longformacus, which led to disruption to the water supply in thousands of homes and businesses across the county.
Local MP John Lamont has met residents in Birgham, near Coldstream, this morning (Thursday), and says "it's a disgrace" that bottles have not been delivered to many residents left without running water.
Details of the fault first emerged on Tuesday but deliveries of pallets of bottled water didn't reach some communities until two days later.
In a post on his Facebook page this morning, Mr Lamont said: "I am aware that many households are still without water right across Berwickshire this morning.
"Overnight I have been trying to contact Scottish Water for an urgent update but had no success.
"I have been out in Birgham this morning and people are extremely angry at the way Scottish Water have handled this situation. I have contacted them again this morning.
"It is a disgrace that many residents without water have not been delivered bottled water."
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A collection point set up opposite the High School in Duns was opened yesterday, and reopened again at 7am this morning.
On Scottish Water's website on Wednesday night, additional bottled water collection points were announced at: 21 Lammerview, Chirnside (TD11 3UN); Swinton Kirk (TD11 3JJ); Opposite Greenlaw Town Hall (TD10 6UD); Langton Parish Church, Gavinton (TD11 3QT); and Eccles Village Hall (TD5 7QP).
More have since been added at Birgham Cemetery (TD12 4NG), Whitsome VIllage Hall (TD11 3NA), Foulden & Mordington Parish Church (TD15 1UH), 15 Hill View, Coldstream, (TD12 4ED) and Paxton Village Hall (TD15 1TE).
Scottish Water says all customers on its Priority Services Register have been contacted, and staff are on hand to deliver bottled water.
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A warning to people living in parts of Berwickshire not to drink their tap water has also been lifted.
A spokesperson for the water company said: "Customers in some rural parts of Duns, Eccles, Eyemouth, Coldingham and Chirnside, TD5, TD10, TD11, TD12, TD13, TD14 and TD15 were impacted with no water, low pressure or intermittent water supplies yesterday due to a catastrophic failure of a burst pipe identified at the Rawburn Water Treatment Works (WTW) on Tuesday.
"We’ve had to install temporary arrangements to restore supplies and a further enhanced arrangement was installed overnight.
"We are pleased to advise that water is beginning to restore to all customers affected by this, albeit our customers may still experience no water and poor pressure as supplies are restored across a large network.
"Our water network continues to be supplemented by water tankers across the area and this will remain in place until the WTW is back to being fully operational.
"We’d like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused and thank them for their patience whilst we continue to return supplies to all customers."
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Laughing Ducks Soft Play in Coldstream is among the businesses forced to close due to a lack of running water.
Owner Anna Standing told Greatest Hits Radio: "It's been a stressful few days. We opened as normal yesterday morning not expecting any issues, as there was no notification to say that there would be any issues. But then the team realised that there was no water so we had to close the doors, cancel all of the existing bookings and send everyone home.
"As much as children in the Scottish Borders are back to school, they're still on school holidays in Berwick and across the border, so this would have been our two busy days before they go back to school next week.
"We hoped to open again this morning. Unfortunately, there's still no water. Thursday is our Little Ducklings day, which is our baby and toddler group which has been fully booked for the past three weeks. So that's 50 plus people that we've had to cancel the bookings for again.
"Again, no communication with Scottish Water, no notice to say when we might be getting water. We're just trying to get through the day and hope for the best. Hopefully it will be back up before the weekend, but two days of closures is going to impact our business quite heavily."
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