Northumbrian Water is deploying additional leakage teams across the region after the recent wintery weather has seen an increase in burst pipes and leaks.
Over the past two weeks, the North East has seen a mix of freezing cold weather, followed by milder temperatures and rain – conditions that cause the ground to swell and move, leading to higher risk of underground pipework cracking and leaking.
Reports of leaks have increased recently, and so extra teams of water workers are out in communities working to try and find and fix any leaks that might have been caused by the recent cold snap.
They are also asking people to help the teams keep the water flowing by contacting them and reporting any leaks or bursts that they see. This can be done via the company’s online leakage portal or social media.
Kieran Ingram, Water Director at Northumbrian Water, said: “It’s typical that through December and January we see an increase in leaks and bursts due to plummeting temperatures – which is why we always plan to have additional people on the ground to keep the water flowing for everyone.
Our teams have been working incredibly hard to ensure that everyone in the North East can continue to have the heating on, hot showers and most importantly, the kettle filled.
However, we can’t fix leaks that we don’t know about – so we would like to encourage anyone who has spotted a leak locally to report it to us so we can get it repaired and save water.
As well as Northumbrian Water’s network of underground pipes, homeowners have also been asked to ensure that their own pipework is protected from the wintery conditions, to avoid costly bursts and to protect the region’s water supplies.
This can be done by lagging exposed pipes in any unheated areas of the home, such as the garage or the loft, covering up outside taps, and also locating stopcocks so they are easily accessible to switch the water off in an emergency.
To report a leak, head to www.nwl.co.uk/report-a-problem or send a direct message via X (formally Twitter) at @nwater_care or on Facebook at Northumbrian Water.