NI Water is reporting an increase of 279% in burst water mains and has set up an incident team to manage the situation as the weather changes and the anticipated thaw arrives.
The water company has also moved a staggering 5 million litres of water by tanker across Northern Ireland.
The mammoth operation started when the freezing weather changed to a thaw resulting in thousands of burst pipes on the water supply network and customer properties. To date, over 25 tankers have carried 285 loads of treated water to reservoirs struggling to cope with the demand on the system.
Describing customers as its eyes and ears, NI Water said it urgently needs customers to:
- Check for bursts on their property.
- Check buildings if they are going to be unoccupied.
- Keep the name of an approved plumber handy to ensure any burst can be fixed as soon as possible.
NI Water is appealing to property owners, in particular, schools, farms, caravan parks, estate agents, landlords etc. to be extra vigilant, checking out buildings or properties that may have been closed.
Des Nevin, Director of Customer Operations, commented:
“This is a complex process as it is essential every tanker is cleaned and sterilised, that there are staff available and working throughout the night to fill and drive the tankers, and our scientific teams are on hand to sample the water to ensure it continues to meet stringent quality control checks.
“We are in a situation where we need everyone to work together to keep the water flowing. Our customers have a huge part to play in this. They are our eyes and ears, alerting us to bursts may help us get to them faster and therefore cause less disruption to customers. We also need customers to check their own properties for bursts.”
“The tankering will continue as long as the need is there. We have seen our staff step up and go the extra mile, often in treacherous road conditions. Our thanks also to the Department for Infrastructure for assisting with gritting operations to keep the tankers rolling and water flowing as we approach the Christmas holiday period.”
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