Big thaw leads to meltdown

AFTER the big freeze, Oldhamers are now facing problems caused by the big thaw.

United Utilities is responding to unprecedented volumes of calls from customers and an increase in the number of leaks and bursts hitting pipework as temperatures have risen.

Since Christmas Eve, the company has taken 40,000 calls — that’s 10 times the usual amount, from across the North-West.

When the ice melts after a prolonged period of very cold weather the ground can move — putting unusual amounts of stress on the network’s pipes causing them to leak or burst.

Meanwhile, above ground, frozen pipework in homes and businesses is beginning to thaw out, leading to more bursts and leaks.

Temperatures dropped to -11C on Christmas Day but reached above zero for the first time in a week on Boxing Day and have remained mild since. But the borough-wide thaw has resulted in frozen pipes bursting. Across the region, Greater Manchester Fire Service received 41 flood-related calls during Boxing Day and 82 calls on Monday.

Homes in Delph were left without water after a water main burst in Millgate sending a torrent gushing more than 30ft in the air.

Scott Beard, United Utilities’ regional water network manager, said: “It is not unusual to see the number of bursts increase when the temperature shifts after a prolonged cold snap.

Remote

“We are fully geared up, with extra call takers, engineers and specialist leak detection teams all giving up their holidays and working round the clock. We have also brought in additional 4X4 vehicles, to make sure our engineers can get to more remote areas which are still snow-bound.

“We are also asking the public to help us by checking on any empty properties where they hold the keys — such as business premises or neighbours’ homes. We want to avoid leaks in locked-up buildings causing water supply problems for neighbouring houses.

“While we can’t help with bursts on internal pipework, we will do what we can to help fix customers outside private connection pipe to our water main free of charge, as long as our engineers can gain access to the pipe and its not running under a building.”

United Utilities has released the following advice when checking on empty buildings:

l Check whether there are any obvious signs of a burst pipe and run a tap to check whether there are any frozen pipes.

l If there are any problems with the water supply, try to find the internal stop tap (usually under the kitchen sink) and turn it off.

l If you do find a problem on the property, call a reputable plumber to assist.

Report any leaks or bursts in the street on a dedicated freephone leak line on 0800 33 00 33.




United Utilities chiefs have warned people not to walk on the ice of frozen reservoirs — no matter how solid it seems.



A spokesman said: “Our teams have witnessed hundreds of people playing on our reservoirs.

“Frozen reservoirs can be deadly. If you fall though the ice, the water is so cold it can quickly numb the limbs, preventing movement and leading to a real risk of drowning.

“It’s not just teenagers; parents with young children and people walking dogs have been seen too. Some think it’s funny to throw a ball on to the ice for the dog to chase.”