Householders and business owners asked to check for water leaks

Irish Water says burst pipes after cold weather have triggered surge in demand

Irish Water said recent freezing temperatures and subsequent thaw led to higher demand. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Irish Water said recent freezing temperatures and subsequent thaw led to higher demand. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

Householders and business owners in the Greater Dublin Area have been asked to check for water leaks as the recent cold spell has led to a surge in demand for water.

Recent freezing temperatures and the subsequent thaw, resulted in a higher than normal volume of bursts in the public network, for this time of year.

The request for premises owners and occupiers to check for burst or leaking pipes comes from Irish Water and local authorities who have also asked people to conserve supply where possible.

However the utility stressed consumers should continue to wash their hands in compliance with Covid-19 advice.

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Irish Water said there has been a steady increase in demand over the Christmas period spiking in the past few days following the recent cold spell that saw sub-zero temperatures over a number of days.

Repairs are being carried out as quickly as possible in line with Covid-19 protocols.

Tom Cuddy, head of operations with Irish Water, asked that outside pipes in particular be checked, as they can become frozen and burst during periods of cold weather. Any leaks on the public network should be reported to Irish Water on 1850 278 278.

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist