No water for families at Cerney barracks (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

No water for families at Cerney barracks

MORE than 100 families living at the Duke of Gloucester Barracks have faced water rationing for the past fortnight.

Families living at the barracks, home to the 29 Regiment, have had to drink bottled water and use portable toilets after more than a week of water problems.

It is also believed Physical Training for soldiers has also been suspended because the squaddies can't have showers.

According to sources at the barracks some have had portable toilets outside their homes for the last week.

Washing has been collected and sent to local launderettes and many people had been using the showers at the Cotswold Leisure Centre and drinking the bottled water provided by Thames Water.

But when the leisure centre closed due an electrical fault on Sunday and part of Monday this created a further headache.

The problems began almost two weeks ago when a water main supplying the barracks burst.

Although is was swiftly repaired it took some time for the water supply to return to normal.

An MoD spokesman confirmed the base had suffered problems with water supplies in the last week.

He said: "The barracks has recently been without water for about a week. There were three burst pipes and that drained the water from the base. A tanker of non-drinking water and bottled drinking water was provided by the MoD and alternative arrangements were put in place.

"In terms of getting the supply back it takes about a week to completely refill. While that was undertaken a bowser and bottled water continued to be provided. I believe full service was back by Friday."

The spokesman could not confirm whether PT had been suspended but said it was quite feasible considering the problems with the supply.