Schools have been forced to close for a second day while repair work continues to restore water to about 8,000 homes after a main pipe burst at a treatment plant.

Nearly 40 schools and education centres in Conwy have announced they will remain shut on Friday, following the incident at Bryn Cowlyd Water Treatment Works in Dolgarrog, Conwy on Wednesday night.

As many as 40,000 homes are thought to be without water as a result of the burst pipe, which closed more than 20 schools and a number of businesses on Thursday.

Water supply was expected to be restored on Thursday, but on Friday morning Welsh Water said it could take a further 48 hours, even once the main is repaired.

Some residents have resorted to using stream and pond water to flush their toilets, while others have ventured out to sea to keep their toilet clean, according to social media users.

One woman said she had used water collected in the water butt to flush her toilets – while another said she had used water from the “goldfish pond”.

Several nurseries have been closed on Friday and a planned concert by the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra at Venue Cymru in Llandudno has also been postponed, according to their website.

Clwb yr Efail, a community club for the elderly and vulnerable in Conwy, was forced to close its doors on Friday.

Terence James, the club’s chairperson, said the priority is now to support those who normally come to them for a hotel meal, particularly those on a low-income.

“Many of our people are in their 80s, some in their 90s. The club is a haven during the day,” he said, adding that the team at the club has spent the morning making welfare calls to dozens of their members.

Many live alone and some do not have access to social media and are therefore not being updated, Mr James said.

Some community volunteers have been going door to door to deliver water to vulnerable people, including Conservative county councillor for Colwyn, Cheryl Carlisle.

Ms Carlisle has been sourcing water from outside of Old Colwyn to help those in need and says the emergency response to keep the community safe by Welsh Water has been “woefully inadequate”.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, she said: “We’ve had some heartbreaking stories, there are currently some nursing homes without water. It’s very distressing for them all.

“I keep thinking of elderly people, if they are not on social media, they will be so bewildered by everything.”

Welsh Water said it recognises “the inconvenience being experience by customers”, adding that eligible households will be paid £30 in compensation for every 12 hours their supplies have been affected – business customers will be paid £75 for every 12 hours.

“We appreciate that this ongoing disruption is causing real frustration for our customers and we are truly sorry,” it said, adding that two bottled water stations have been opened, with a third planned, while it also aims to deliver bottled water in some “key community locations”.

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Despite the water issues that have affected the area, a home football game has been given the go ahead between Colwyn Bay FC and Buckley Town on Friday evening.

But some residents could still be without water until Sunday, according to Welsh Water, which will depend on how quickly the network will refill.

Nia Clwyd Owen, Plaid Cymru county councillor for Llanrwst, Llanddoged & Maenanin, said the council have been offering different sites for Welsh Water to open water stations on Friday.

A distribution centre for vulnerable people was opened in Park Eirias on Thursday, while there were large queues of cars at an additional water station that was added in Zip World Conwy on Friday.

About 10 Welsh Water staff were conducting a swift operation at Zip World Conway on Friday morning – opening people’s car doors and putting in packs of large water battles before they set off.

Large queues of cars were waiting to go on site, with a queue snaking around half a mile down the road – and getting busier – showing the scale of how many people have been affected.

Members of public were heard thanking staff for their help setting up the emergency water stations.

Welsh Water said bottled drinking water and static tanks are available on both sites, for customers to bring their own containers to fill up with water for flushing.

In a statement, the company asked customers to only take what they need.

There are about 5,000 vulnerable members on the list with Welsh Water and water tankers are being used to supply water to hospitals and care homes.

The incident is affecting supplies in Conwy, Dolgarrog, Eglwys Bach, Groesffordd, Gwytherin, Henryd, Llanbedr y Cennin, Llanddoged, Llanfair Talhaiarn, Llangernyw, Maenan, parts of Llanrwst, Pandy Tudur, Pentrefelin, Rowen, Rhyd y foel, Tal y Bont, Tal y Cafn, Tyn Groes and Trofarth.