Pembroke residents will face four months of piped water cuts after the government discovered a water mains is no longer viable.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, admitted there had been “significant” water loss “every minute of every day” with the mains now past its functioning life.

But a government statement did not say how much water was being wasted or how long it had been going in for.

Nor did it say how many people or what areas of Pembroke will be affected while the mains is replaced.

The statement said businesses have been notified of the impending work, which starts on November 15.

The scheduled interruptions will allow for the “complete replacement” of the mains, the ministry said.

The line is a top-up service to water tanks and no homes should be directly connected to it.

From November 15, water service will be shut off on Tuesdays at 10am and restored by 6pm on Fridays, each week of construction.

Colonel Burch said the work would go on hold for four weeks, from December 16, to ensure water supplies kept running during the Christmas holidays.

The Royal Gazette has requested details on the number of residents and areas of the parish affected by the works.

We have also queried whether the repairs will require excavations – and the extent of loss incurred by the deterioration of the water mains.

In the statement, the minister added: “We are asking affected customers to exercise restraint with water usage during these times to ensure they have sufficient supply during the outages.”

Details on the service interruptions can be obtained from the Water and Sewage Section by e-mailing water@gov.bm or calling 278-0570.

The ministry apologised for the inconvenience.