Battle Against Bursts Continues as Thaw Extends

Scottish Water teams are continuing to battle against a surge in burst pipes caused by sub-zero temperatures and a rapid thaw.

Additional demand on the network has now increased to 250 megalitres (250 million litres) – the highest in more than a decade since the winter of 2010.

The public are being asked to help identify leaks and reduce demand on the network by checking all water supplies, inside and outside any property under their responsibility, for burst pipes and leaks.

Customer Service General Manager Kevin Roy said: “We have now seen an additional 250 million litres of demand on the network. That’s the biggest impact on supply and demand from the weather since the big freeze of winter 2010/11.

“We are fully deployed around the country finding and fixing bursts. Teams are working literally around the clock to reduce the impact on our customers.

“Some bursts are very visible and in easy-to-access locations, whilst others may be unseen and require technical expertise to locate and repair.

“We would again ask property owners, residents, keyholders and businesses to check their properties, including unoccupied buildings, for any sign at all of leaks or burst pipes.”

More than 70 repair teams across Scotland have been mobilised to respond to incidents, putting repairs in place and trying to reduce the impact on customers who have lost water supply at their taps.

The north and east of the country are now experiencing issues which were seen over the weekend thaw in the south and west.

Around 30 road tankers are being deployed to keep customers in supply and we have also distributed bottled water to other customers, including those on our Priority Services Register.

Customers are advised that contact advisors remain exceptionally busy and to avoid phoning in all but an emergency. Leaks can be reported on the utility’s website, where further winter advice on protecting pipes and property is available.

If a leak is discovered within the boundary of a property, householders are advised to seek the services of a registered plumber via SNIPEF or Watersafe.

Scottish Water’s Priority Services Register allows anyone with additional needs to receive support.