Be prepared for winter advises water company

18th November 2014

That's the message from Sembcorp Bournemouth Water (SBW) which supplies water to approximately half a million people in parts of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

The company has issued some timely advice to householders and businesses after research showing a drop in the number of people taking action to avoid frozen pipes.

According to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) just under half of water customers - 46 per cent - had taken steps compared with 55 per cent a year earlier*.

Young people aged 24 to 35 remain most at risk from not being properly prepared while one in five water customers has no idea what to do if a pipe freezes**. 

SBW has now launched a campaign to ensure customers are prepared for cold weather.

Tips and advice are available via the company's website at www.sembcorpbw.co.uk and include:

• Insulate water tanks and pipes, especially in unheated spaces - and make sure there are no draughts. 
• Fix dripping taps - even a small trickle can lead to a frozen pipe.
• Make sure your boiler is serviced.
• If you go away, leave the heating on low and get someone to check the property regularly and make sure they know where the stop tap is.

Roger Harrington, Managing Director, said: “Frozen or burst pipes can cause major headaches for customers. A few basic steps can avoid these problems.

“The simple fact is that a little time spent on preparing for cold weather could save a lot of time dealing with the after-effects of a flood resulting from a burst pipe.”