REPORTS of burst water pipes have more than doubled as a result of thawing ice, Scottish Water has said.
Temperatures dropped as low as minus 17.3C last week, prompting a major incident to be declared on Shetland after thousands of homes were left without power.
Scottish Water said its network has seen demand for an additional 100 mega litres since Thursday as a result of broken pipes.
Incidents of burst pipes have also increased by between 100% and 150% – including in Ayrshire, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Stirling – although the number is likely to be higher.
Kevin Roy, customer service general manager at Scottish Water, said: “The weather conditions this week have caused a significant impact on our supply network across the country.
“On top of the usual daily distribution of water and demand from customers, we’ve seen an additional 100 million litres a day flowing through the network and unfortunately that’s the result of leaks and bursts.
“The deep freeze has developed into a quick thaw with temperatures on the increase, leaving some pipes cracked.
“Some bursts will be very visible and in publicly accessible places, others on private property which is the responsibility of the key holder or owner, and others will be much more challenging to locate.
“We would ask property owners, residents, keyholders and businesses to check their properties, including unoccupied buildings, for any sign at all of leaks or burst pipes.
“We can all collectively help reduce the amount of water being lost in the current conditions.
“We’re doing all we can to manage the situation as effectively as possible and trying to reduce disruption for customers. Our response is likely to extend well into next week as we approach the Christmas weekend.”
Heavy snow caused major travel disruption in parts of Scotland over the weekend.
However, temperatures are set to rise as high as 14C in the UK on Monday.
