Theres water in them thar hills (From Western Telegraph)

Theres water in them thar hills

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council has been drilling for water - in the Preseli Hills.

The council has tapped into an underground reservoir to enable two schools and a public building to have their own independent water supply. The drilling has been taking place in the grounds of Ysgol y Preseli secondary school, Crymych.

The council believes it has found enough water beneath the surface to supply not only the 800-pupil school but also the village primary school and the local leisure centre, including its 25-metre swimming pool.

Councillor Brian Hall, the county council cabinet member with responsibility for environment and transportation, said the new water supply could save as much as £5,000 a year in water rates for the three buildings.

This is part of a three-year energy saving programme initiated by the council, he explained.

Energy and water use within the authoritys properties currently costs around £2.4 million a year. There are many potential savings that can be achieved if properly addressed and effectively resourced, and this is one of them.

The county council has already installed water saving measures in its eight secondary schools and is looking to save around £26,000 a year for an initial outlay of just £8,000.

Tests on the quality of the underground water at Crymych are now being carried out prior to it being distributed to the three sites from a storage tank.

Every drop will be filtered before use and subject to regular sampling. The new water supply to both schools should be operating when children return to the classroom in September.