The mayor of Tellin has urged residents to limit their water consumption following a fire at a key pumping station on Saturday afternoon.
The blaze disrupted operations at the pumping facility that supplies the town’s main water reservoir, the Chemin des Crêtes water tower. The mayor, Frédéric Clarinval, explained that the fire was reported by a passerby who alerted the fire brigade, but local technicians had already realised the problem when the reservoir’s alarm system detected a lack of water.
The disruption forced local authorities to implement measures to prevent a water shortage. The town turned to the Walloon Water Company (SWDE), which has been supplying 200m2 of water daily to supplement Tellin’s needs since the incident. This connection with SWDE had been established a few years ago as a contingency for drought periods. In addition, reopening a former water intake site has provided 40m2 per day, while the remaining supply is being delivered by civil defence teams from Libramont.
To manage the situation, the mayor issued a decree asking residents to minimise water use, restricting it to essential drinking and hygiene purposes. The emergency measures may remain in place for several days. Local authorities are set to meet with a specialised company to assess the damage and seek both short-term and long-term solutions.
