Bosses at Scottish Water have admitted there are significant failings in the Highland Perthshire water supply and have pledged action to rectify the problems.
Hundreds of homes were left without water supplies over Christmas and New Year as a result of the extreme winter weather, with several thousand litres of bottled water delivered to communities including Blair Atholl, Pitlochry and Bridge of Tilt to compensate.
The alternative supply was used for cooking, cleaning and washing as some properties struggled on for well over a week through some of the toughest conditions seen in the area for years.
While similar problems affected homes and businesses across the country, residents in Blair Atholl claimed work to re-lay pipes in 2007 was directly responsible for the problem.
At the time chief executive Richard Ackroyd pledged a full investigation into the problems within Highland Perthshire, but said there was no evidence of a failing on its part.
Scottish Water has since reviewed the records of the work carried out in 2007 and also the situation found by staff and contractors when they excavated to unfreeze pipes at the turn of the year.
And the water company has been forced to backtrack somewhat after those investigations proved to back up residents’ concerns.
A spokesman said, “Scottish Water is currently seeking a contractor to carry out remedial work on our network within Blair Atholl.
“We accept that some parts of the network have not been laid to the regulated depth and acknowledge that this is our responsibility. We therefore anticipate work to re-lay these pipes starting in the summer, with completion in the autumn.
“We appreciate that this is a matter of concern for the community and therefore will keep in close contact with them throughout.”