Northern Ireland Water has moved five million litres of treated water across the country to restore reservoir levels that became depleted following the freeze-thaw event.
As the freezing weather subsided, leaks and burst began to appear across the network of pipes and customers’ properties.
Water lost to bursts resulted in increased demand, which has drawn down on reservoirs. The company used its fleet of 25 tankers to move the water around the country to refill reservoirs that were struggling to cope with demand.
NI Water’s customer operations director, Des Nevin, explained the logistics of the feat. He said: “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.
He called on customers to check their properties for bursts and to report any leaks they might notice on the company’s supply network through an online portal, phone or instant messenger service.
“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,” Nevin said.
The freeze thaw brought disruption to the south of England where customers of South East Water and Southern both experienced supply interruptions.
Bursts that occurred during the freeze thaw resulted in demand exceeding the rate treated water could be pumped to customers. Southern Water had to impose limits on supplies to consumers in its western region where pressure fell.