Keep your pipes warm – well, keep them from freezing at least! That’s the advice from water bosses as more snow settles over parts of Brighton and Hove.
Southern Water director Helen Simonian said before the weekend: “Although it’s nearly spring, it’s not too late to prepare your pipes for the cold snap.
“Lagging exposed pipes in your loft, as well as your external pipes, can help prevent bursts and flooding in your home but – should the worst happen – make sure you know where your internal stop tap is, so you can turn the water off as soon as possible.
“You should also try to fix any dripping taps, as even a small trickle could result in a frozen pipe.
“And because burst pipes can happen at any time of the year, we’re also reminding customers that during 2018 we’re offering one free fix on external pipes between your property and our water main, so any pipe that bursts during the cold snap might qualify.
“Finally, we’re asking our customers to help us be our eyes and ears out and about, and to report any leaks they spot on our 24-hour leak line 0330 030 0146.
“More than 40 per cent more leaks were reported by our customers during the last week, which is a fantastic response and we’re grateful to everyone who’s called.”
During the last freezing spell at the start of March a pipe burst in the Thomas Kemp Tower at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
And East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to deal with dozens of flooded properties as a result of pipes bursting.
Southern Water added: “Last weekend saw our crews working around the clock to find and fix 142 per cent more bursts than the previous week and we currently have 126 find and fix teams proactively looking for leaks across the 14,000km of water mains in our region.
“We more than tripled the number of frontline staff working to cope with the crisis and sent more than a million text alerts to customers.”
Pot calling kettle black comes to mind Ms Simonian