NI Water statement burst watermain Ballyarnett Road

12 April 2024 14:10

“NI Water can confirm the emergency repair on the burst watermain at Ballyarnett Road was completed on the evening of 11 April.  The team worked into the evening to ensure the repair was successful, there were no further bursts and all customers were back on supply.  An NI Water spokesperson commented:

“A burst main on such a scale is fortunately a rare occurrence, but when it happens it can be shocking to witness.  The sheer volume of water from  a pipe this size means as much as 110 litres of water per second could potentially have been flowing toward the properties at speed, and unfortunately at a pace that could not be stopped.  This is undoubtably an extremely distressing sight for any homeowner, and we fully appreciate the upset that has been caused by this incident. 

“When we received the first calls from customers, at 9.57am, our teams were placed on emergency response and diverted from other areas in the city to arrive at the scene by 10:30am.  Their immediate priority was to assess the situation, identify where the nearest valve was located which would stop the flow of water, get to it and shut it off.  The valves were located approximately half a mile away from the actual burst; they were attended to by two teams and all fully shut down by 12:05. 

“Alongside the operational response, a customer liaison team was mobilised and arrived to the street to make sure all customers were given advice and information and helped in any way possible.  Our first priority was ensuring everyone had alternative accommodation and contact details for insurance claims.  The residents were very appreciative of the actions of our staff and we would like to thank them for their patience.  Their response to such an upsetting situation is truly commendable.”

“Bursts of this scale that impact homes in this way, are thankfully rare.  However, bursts in general can occur anywhere on our network, for a variety of reasons, including the age and condition of the pipework, location, weather etc.”