Weather disrupts water supply

The bad weather has caused problems with mains water supply to homes across the UK and Ireland.

A thaw in temperatures has caused a number of burst pipes and leaks, leaving scores of households without any water.

Severn Trent apologised to customers in the Rugby area who had no supply.

The company said it has been dealing with "an unprecedented number of leaks".

Southern Water said customers may be experiencing loss of supply "that could be caused by the cold weather".

Thames Water opened a number of bottled water stations in north and south London after homes were left without water in the capital.

Suppliers across the country reported a high volume of calls and asked customers to be patient while repairs are carried out.

Anglian Water warned of "extended waiting times" and added: "The weather has also affected our ability to get field teams out to jobs in certain parts of our region."

Welsh Water said: "Due to the thaw, we're expecting some disruption to our services over the next few days.

"We are working as quickly as is safely possible to resolve issues as they occur."

The company also asked customers to make sure no taps were left running and for businesses to check their premises for any leaks.

United Utilities, which serves the north west, told customers: "As temperatures begin to climb following the cold snap, we are dealing with a number of issues due to the freeze and then thaw which may be affecting supplies in your area."

Wessex Water said "some customers" are experiencing leaks and that it has had more calls than normal.

Yorkshire has also been affected, with "very challenging conditions" due to a number of burst pipes.

Yorkshire Water said: "As the weather warms up, frozen pipes thaw which causes them to contract and sometimes break.

"When the ice melts away the holes in those pipes will be exposed, causing a leak and, in extreme circumstances, flooding."

South West Water offered the following advice: "Customers can help themselves and us by identifying whether the problem is inside their house or not.

"If the leak or burst is on their own pipes, the best thing to do is to call a plumber.

"However if you and your neighbours are out of water or losing pressure, that could be a sign of a burst or leaking mains pipe and we need to hear about it to start helping you."

Homes in Scotland were affected, with ongoing bad weather slowing down repair works.

Scottish Water said: "Weather and road conditions have presented challenges in maintaining our usual response services and we apologise if you've experienced a delay in us getting to you.

"A yellow warning is currently in place and both weather and driving conditions remain challenging."

Water supply was also restricted in Ireland due to "increased demand".

Irish Water said some areas "will need to have water restrictions put in place to allow reservoir levels to restore".

"We are asking the public to conserve water to help this to happen," it added.