Fears that low water pressure is endangering island residents are being investigated by Scottish Water.
The island community council asked for an urgent examination of the supply system following a devastating fire last year and other problems with the supply that have led to taps running extremely slow.
Community council convener Sheena Nisbet said: “There is a long history of water supply problems on the island – especially in the summer months when we welcome so many visitors.
“We are delighted that Scottish Water is taking our fears seriously and having a thorough examination of what is happening and how it can be sorted.
“It may be that we need additional storage capacity for treated water – that is one of the things they will be considering.”
In an email to community councilors Scottish Water Service Review Manager Lorraine Dutch said if additional work was needed it would be done.
“Following the outcome of the Project, Scottish Water will be in a position to understand and clarify the operational pressures in the network and where necessary take relevant steps to ensure that the pressure being supplied to the property boundary meets the requirements as noted within Scottish Water Code Of Practice – Price Promise Standard.
“The project will investigate height levels in relation to property boundaries and from the Clear Water Tanks including the installation of pressure loggers at differing points on the network. In line with Scottish Water Code Of Practice – Price Promise Standard it stipulates that your property will be added to the low pressure register if following investigation, we confirm your property receives less than 1 bar of pressure (1.0bar is the pressure needed to fill a bucket with 10 litres of water in around a minute).
“You will not be added to the low pressure register if your home is above the level of water leaving our storage tank or less than 10.5meters below the tank because we can’t guarantee that the required pressure can be reached without additional pumping or a water storage facility. If you live close to the level of our water storage tanks we recommend that you seek our advice before installing any appliances that require a particular pressure, like electric showers and pressurised hot water systems.
“Other things that could affect your water pressure are the condition of your pipework and whether you share your supply with other properties. Sudden and unusual drops in pressure could be caused by a burst water main or repair work being carried out in your area.”