Thaw sees 4,000% increase in burst pipe repairs for Severn Trent

The freezing temperatures and rapid thaw have caused major problems for Midlands utility Severn Trent, with the water company having to contend with a 4,000% increase in the number of burst pipes it has been called out to repair.

It said that it had worked over the weekend to repair as many as it could and restore suppliers to its customers across the region.

However, it said there was likely to be further disruption this morning as the peak period approached.

“The rapid thaw has seen our teams called out to an unprecedented number of burst pipes. To put that into perspective, we’ve had an increase in burst pipe alarms of nearly 4,000%,” it said.

“Our teams have worked tirelessly throughout the night to fix many of the bursts, and as a result we have managed to restore supplies to everyone who was impacted.

“Overnight there have been a further series of bursts though, and so as we enter peak demand this morning, there may still be poor pressure or intermittent supplies in pockets again as we fix these.”

It said it had teams working hard to deal with these as quickly as they could and would make every effort to restore supplies as soon as possible.

“We would like to offer a huge apology to these customers for any disruption to their Monday mornings. We know just how hard it is to be without water and we hugely appreciate everyone’s patience, as our teams work round the clock to fix the bursts and reduce any impact to our customers,” said the firm in a statement.

It said customers could get all the latest updates via its website and social media.