With temperatures forecasted to rapidly rise in coming days (over the weekend) , Severn Trent is encouraging its customers to be on the lookout for leaks on the private pipework around their home.

Colder weather can wreak havoc on household water pipes. When water freezes within a pipe it expands, putting more pressure on the pipes and joints, often causing pipes to split or joints to pull apart. When the temperature starts to increase again, the water can start to leak out.

Head of Water Treatment, Stephanie Cawley, said: “Freezing temperatures followed by a sudden thaw can lead to pipes leaking and bursting, especially if they have not been protected by pipe lagging. This is why we’d really appreciate our customers spreading these important messages with their friends, family and neighbours to make sure we all weather the winter together.

"Many of our customers may not realise that Severn Trent is only responsible for the water mains and service pipes in the public highway - anything inside the property boundary is the responsibility of the homeowner, however we have lots of advice for what customers can do if they think their home is affected by burst pipes.”

Severn Trent’s top tips:

If there’s no water when you turn the tap on, check with your neighbours first – if they’ve got water, it’s likely you’ve got frozen pipes on your property – don’t worry you can easily fix this yourself. You can thaw your pipes out by using a hairdryer or a heater (you don’t want to thaw them too quickly). If you do find your pipes have burst because the water’s frozen and expanded inside them, you should get a plumber to come out to get everything fixed. You can find more information, including how to find an approved plumber, here www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/leakage/

Wrap all pipework, fittings and storage tanks in unheated areas of your home (such as lofts, roofs, outbuildings and garages) with insulation. It’s very important that there are no gaps in the insulation, even where the pipes bend, to make sure the cold is kept out. There’s still time to lag your pipes which is absolutely the best way to make sure they don’t freeze. You can find out more on our website

Make sure that you and other members of your household know where your stop tap is located so that it can be reached quickly in an emergency, and most importantly, check that it’s working properly

If you spot a leak on the Severn Trent network while you’re out and about you can report it here: https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-account/report-an-issue-through-vyn/. When the ground freezes then rapidly unfreezes, it can cause ground movement which can put pressure on the pipes causing them to burst

If you do have a problem with your water supply this winter, with either low pressure or no water coming out of your taps, first check to see if your neighbours are having similar trouble. This will help establish if the issue is on Severn Trent’s network or on your own supply pipe. If your neighbours’ water supply is normal it is likely that you will need to call a plumber. If more than one household is affected, you’ll need to ring Severn Trent’s 24-hour emergency number to report the problem - 0800 783 4444.

Notes to editors:

More tips on preparing your home for winter can be found here: https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/wintertogether/

Customers can get all the latest updates via our website - https://www.stwater.co.uk/

You can order free pipe and tap jackets this year via Severn Trent’s Get Water Fit initiative while stocks last - https://www.stwater.co.uk/wonderful-on-tap/save-water/get-water-fit/#/

Severn Trent has a Priority Services Register – to make sure those who need extra help in case of issues with supply are supported and encourages customers, friends, or family to let them know of anyone who might benefit from being checked on, or who needs a certain supply in case of an issue on the network - https://www.stwater.co.uk/get-in-touch/join-our-priority-services-register/

Videos:

Advice on what to do if your pipes are frozen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef5JO2svtrQ

Advice on what to do if a water pipe splits or bursts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4SDK1-uimc