NI Water sets up incident team following surge in burst pipes amid colder weather

60 million litres of water has been lost after a surge in burst water pipes across Northern Ireland.

NI Water told UTV that 150 crews were dispatched on Saturday morning to detect the source of the leaks, which have been linked to the cold weather.

It comes after the company announced it has set up an incident team to manage the situation as the weather changes and the anticipated thaw arrives.

NI Water is asking the public to check their water mains, especially those with vacant houses over Christmas.

It also recommends:

• Wrap up pipes and water tanks with lagging – high street DIY stores have everything you need; the thicker the lagging the better the protection

• Fix dripping taps – even a small trickle can result in a frozen pipe

• Find your property’s stop valve and make sure you can turn it off – most are under the kitchen sink - if you have one of our stop valve tags, wrap this around it

• Keep the name of an approved plumber handy

For more information and to report a leak:

• Report a leak or burst pipe

• Webchat service

• For leaks, call the dedicated Leakline number on 0800 028 2011

• For burst watermains, call Waterline on 03457 440088

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