OVER 35,000 homes in Inverclyde ended up affected by an unprecedented loss of water supplies after Loch Thom froze over and an investigation is now under way to prevent any repeat. Scottish Water drafted in a team of six specialist divers after a 900mm intake pipe that transfers 525 litres of water each second at the Greenock Water Treatment Works at Loch Thom reservoir seized up in sub-zero temperatures on Saturday. The team battled for more than eight hours to clear ice from the inlet screen as a huge effort was also made on the ground to set up bottled water distribution points and draft in 29 tankers to supplement the network.