Northumbrian Water has issued important advice to households as the freezing weather in the North East is set to give way to milder temperatures.
The water company recently issued advice on what to do if pipes freeze as snow flurries and icy conditions hit the region, but with the sub-zero temperatures expected to lift next week and highs of up to 12°C forecast in some areas it is now warning customers to be aware of another issue that could arise in the pipes.
The swing from freezing to mild weather can cause pipes to expand and contract, meaning that they can end up leaking, cracking or even bursting. Northumbrian Water has said that while this problem arises every winter, they expect the quick temperature shift in the coming days to make a bigger impact than normal and increase the number of leaks and bursts.
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Richard Warneford, Operations Director for Northumbrian Water, said: "We’re planning ahead and being prepared for the rising temperatures forecast for this weekend, because we know the kind of impact that this can have on our own water network, and our customers’ pipework.
"Our teams work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and we’ll be here all throughout the Christmas and New Year period to ensure our customers’ water keeps flowing, whatever happens with the weather. This means monitoring our networks closely, moving water around the network if bursts do occur, and generally being ready to respond.
"However, we would ask that our customers keep an eye on their pipes, report any leaks to us and let us know about any interruptions to their supply," he advised. "Our call centres are going to be really busy so we would ask people use our website to report leaks and only call us in an emergency."
To let Northumbrian Water know about any leaks or bursts, customers can report them online at www.nwl.co.uk/leaks.
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