Wonderful on Tap

When the ground freezes and thaws, it causes movement around our underground pipes, sometimes causing them to leak. This is why a cold winter can increase the likelihood of bursts on our network. We’ve ensured we’re geared up by having plenty of people on the ground to find and fix any issues quickly. But we know how essential it is to take care of our network - so it takes care of you in return.

We do this through a number of ways:

• Regular maintenance and monitoring of our pipes to check their condition
• Investing in the ongoing replacement and repairs to pipes that are at risk of bursting   
• Investing in extra storage capacity in some areas, meaning we have additional supplies we can take water from if we need to
• Working with industry experts to continually develop our knowledge, techniques and skills.

By investing in class leading technology we can minimise the risk of burst pipes and water loss on our network.

We’re using technology to help us with problematic issues such as locating leaks, fixing leaks and pressure control in our pipes.

• We’ve installed thousands of acoustic loggers across our network that enable us to listen for leaks and quickly pinpoint their location. We’re also exploring non-invasive acoustic technology to minimise disruption to you.
• We detect leaks using drones that let us find water and chlorine across large areas.
• You can report problems ‘face-to-face’ with an engineer using video-calling. This has helped us diagnose problems remotely and maintain a safe social distance too.
• Fibre optics in our water mains have enhanced network control, giving us instant, accurate ways to locate network anomalies and predict where leaks might happen.
• We’re helping our teams work safely on the network  with ‘smartvalve’ real-time visualisation of valve operations and remote control, so we minimise the risk of pressure disturbance and possible bursts.
  

Water helps make winter wonderful and we never want you to be without it. But when a burst happens on your property it can stop us from getting our wonderful water
straight to your taps.

That's why we're committed to working closely with all our customers and communities to share our tips and advice on how to protect pipes from the cold. 

We also offer a range of personalised services – whatever your needs. Our range of services include; alternative formats, password protection scheme and nominee scheme.

If you have a medical or mobility need that means you use a lot of water, or have difficulty leaving your home, register for our priority services so we can give you the tailored help and support you need.

We’ll do as much as we can to ensure you always have a supply of water in the event of an interruption or emergency, so that you can continue to enjoy your warm showers and cosy cuppas all winter.